The Fox's Cycle
by Danny vs A Month
Summary: Fox Winters has lived a long, long time. Many lifetimes. A life of protecting. A life of destroying. A life of love. A life of hate. But now, finally, he has a new life. A life as a Hunter.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Recruited

Fox sighed as he stood on the top of the building, watching the people pass below him. His target moved further down the street, turning into a back alley and headed for a less populated street. Fox backed up, then sprinted forward, leaping from the roof of his building, easily clearing the distance, then landing in a roll, standing at the edge of the building and watching the target as he leaned against a wall. Fox looked up and down the street, finding it deserted.

"Well?" his target called out. "Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to do something? I'm a bit busy."

Fox huffed, pulling his weapon from behind his back and spinning it. As it spun, it expanded from a large metal cylinder into a sword with a triangle-shaped cross guard pointing toward the tip, a blade with several points along both edges, and a round hilt. The entire sword looked to be formed out of several smaller pieces of metal, excluding the blade.

"Impressive weapon," his target said as Fox jumped off of the building, flipping and driving the point of his blade downward at him.

His target turned, stepping out of the way and allowing Fox to crash to the ground, driving the sword hilt deep into it. Fox ripped the sword back out and lunged, slashing at the man he was after several times. The man easily deflected the sword each time with his cane, smiling confidently the more Fox attacked him. As Fox began to grow more agitated and put more and more effort into his attacks, the man began to seemingly dance around the strikes, avoiding them as easily as he blocked them. Then, finally, he drilled the end of his cane into Fox, launching him backward. Fox flipped, landing on his feet and growling in annoyance.

"You're not bad," the man said. "Not nearly good enough, but not bad."

Fox growled in annoyance, reaching up and brushing his snow-white hair back and to the right again, glaring at the target. The Target smirked, gesturing for him to attack, and he did just that. He sprinted forward, shouting as he slashed, spun, stabbed, and kicked at the target, the target wither blocking or dodging everything, striking back every so often. After the third strike, however, he hummed thoughtfully as Fox grinned, his sword holding back his target's cane. Then, the target spun, knocking the sword away and slammed the cane into his torso too many times to count, hurling him backward. Fox crashed down hard as it began to rain, his hair falling in his face, his long-sleeved black shirt sticking to him from the rain as much as sweat, and his grey cargo pants felt heavy, as did his black boots as water began to fill them from his pants. He grit his teeth, sprinting forward, slashing at the target again, noticing his fingerless gloves slip a little as his sword hit the cane. Then, the target twirled the can, setting the end on the ground and making Fox's sword stab into the ground before the target push kicked Fox, sending him crashing into the wall. Fox pushed himself up as the target tossed the sword to him, Fox catching it.

"Dreadful weather," his target commented. "Perhaps we should move someplace a bit drier."

Fox sprinted forward just as lightning flashed. Fox winced only for his target's cane to slam into his forehead like a clothesline, flipping him onto his back where he landed in a groaning heap. His target wiped his silver hair back out of his eyes, watching Fox calmly.

"Are you quite finished?" he asked.

"Who are you?" Fox growled.

"My name is Ozpin," he said calmly. "Tell me, Fox Winters, would you like to learn to use that sword of yours correctly?"

"I know how to use my own sword old man," Fox snarled, standing. "How do you know my name anyway?"

"One of the many mysteries you may discover if you accept my offer," Ozpin said.

"What offer?" Fox growled.

"Study at Beacon," Ozpin said. "Classes start in a few days, as luck would have it, and you would be welcomed there. You wouldn't even need to keep your tail and ears hidden to do it."

"How did you know about that?" Fox growled, both hands on his sword as Ozpin smiled knowingly.

"How indeed?" Ozpin asked before turning and walking away. "I'll meet you at the gate tomorrow morning. Eight A.M. Don't be late."

And with that, he turned around a corner and was gone. Fox stared after him before grumbling, spinning his sword back into its compact form and slipping it into the carrier on the back of his belt. He sighed, wiping his hair out of his face and back into its place as a man with a white vest, a hooded black undershirt, black pants, and grey metallic vambraces stepped around the corner, staring at him through the slits in his mask.

"You failed to execute him," the man said.

"Oh please," Fox snorted. "That was a suicide mission and you know it Wulfe."

Wulfe sighed, pulling his hood down and scratching one of his two grey ears. "Yeah, I suppose. So, plan B?"

"Maybe," Fox said, staring after Ozpin. "I feel like...no, it's nothing. I'm going to see about this offer of his. Get Leon and Ava. We're all going to enroll in Beacon."

"If you say so," Wulfe shrugged. "Boss won't be happy though."

"Yeah, well, maybe I'm tired of being a terrorist," Fox said. "Just go get them."

Wulfe nodded and walked away. Fox turned back to the corner and sighed. After a few minutes, the others arrived and they headed toward Beacon, getting some new clothes for Wulfe and the others on the way before stopping at a motel and renting a room.

* * *

Fox stopped as he saw Ozpin, exactly as he said he would be. Ozpin smiled knowingly, nodding to Fox, hands resting on the head of his cane. Fox grit his teeth and continued walking.

"That the guy?" Leon asked. "He doesn't look so tough."

"Trust me, he'd mop up the floor with you, pride and all," Fox said. "You may be a power house who can bludgeon his way through pretty much anyone _else_ _'s_ defenses and aura, but he'd slaughter you without breaking a sweat."

"Well, I'm getting all excited just thinking about it," Leon smirked. "When do we ambush him?"

"Don't be stupid," Fox snorted. "We're trying life on the other side, remember? No ambushing."

"Damn," Leon sighed. "Oh well."

He lifted his arms, grimacing as his sleeves kept them from going all the way up, then forced his arms up, the sleeves ripping at the armpits. He ripped them both off, dropping them into a trash can and smirked, slipping his hands into his jeans pockets. He had messy scarlet hair that hung down a little past his shoulders and was attached to his bushy scarlet beard, and his long tail hung behind him, the bushy red end held up slightly to keep it dragging on the ground. Beside him, Wulfe was picking loose strings and fuzz off of his new grey vest which had a grey fur-lined hood. He wore a white undershirt, a pair of tan pants, and a pair of black shoes. His weapon of choice, a set of gauntlet-like weapons with loops for his fingers to hold onto and a set of three claw blades on each hand, were currently collapsed into a functional watch on his left wrist and a metal band on his right. Behind him, his bushy gray tail swayed back and forth and his grey ears flicked on top of his head in irritation, partially hidden by his silver hair.

Fox rolled his eyes, turning away from Wulfe as Ava stepped up beside him. She had gone with a pair of black boots that reached up to just above her knees and were ended in a point reaching up the front of her thighs, and were tight but flexible, though Fox definitely doubted they were entirely comfortable or functional, a light green shirt and skirt combo, with the skirt reaching to just above the top of her boots and the front of the shirt cut into a "V" to show some cleavage, and with short loose sleeves. Aside from that, she had long, straight green hair reaching to the small of her back but swept over her left shoulder and the bangs on the right side of her head framing that side of her face.

As they reached the door, Fox lifted a hand, setting it on the door before stopping.

"Something wrong?" Ava asked.

"No," Fox sighed, pushing the door open. "Let's greet our new classmates, shall we?"

* * *

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	2. Chapter 2

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Initiates

Fox watched as everyone pulled their weapons out of their lockers. One of the benefits of being able to fold it down into a piece of metal half the length of his forearm was that it was easy to travel with. Coincidentally, he could also get it past metal detectors by saying it was just a really big, fancy multitool. Technically not a lie.

"See anyone interesting?" Wulfe asked.

"Well, there's Pyrrha Nikos," Fox said, watching as an oblivious blond in white armor and jeans with nothing but a normal sword and shield who had absolutely no idea what he was doing tried to flirt with a girl with white hair in a long ponytail on the side of their head, a white long-sleeved shirt and a fluffy white skirt, and white boots.

She had a long thin sword clearly made mostly for stabbing hanging from her hip. And as the oblivious fool tried to flirt with her, he completely ignored Pyrrha, who was trying to get to know him. She had blood red hair in a ponytail, brown and gold greek-style armor that exposed a fair amount of cleavage, a red cloth around her waist, a gold shield, and a red and gold greek-style sword, which Fox knew could grow into a spear or change into a rifle.

"Is he seriously trying to pick up Weiss Schnee?" Wulfe snorted. "What an idiot."

"And completely ignoring the goddess behind him," Leon said. "Such a shame. My turn."

"Don't waste your time," Fox snorted. "You're sixteen years old with a full beard. Forget it. you've got no shot with anyone."

"Chicks dig the beard," Leon said.

"Chicks dig humans, buddy," Fox said. "Face it, you're going to die old and alone unless you meet another lion."

Fox turned, walking away from them and toward where they were supposed to gather. As he did, however, he glanced to the side and saw a girl with a black one-button vest over a white midriff shirt, white shorts, and thigh-high stockings that were purple on bottom then faded to black around her knees. She had a sword on her back with a pistol as a hilt and a length of some kind of fabric hanging from the base of the grip. The sheath also had a handle and looked to be metal, so Fox had a good guess that she used it to fight as well. He walked over, staring at the bow on top of her head, which stood upright.

"Hey there," Fox said. "I'm Fox Winters."

She looked over at him and nodded. "I'm Blake Belladonna."

"I like your bow," Fox said.

"Oh, uh, thanks," Blake said.

"Kind of looks like cat ears," Fox said. "Funny, huh?"

"Uh, yeah," Blake said. "I gotta go."

"Would all first year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation," a speaker on the wall said. "Again, all first year students report to Beacon Cliff, immediately."

"Apparently so do I," Fox said. "See you out there Blake. And let me know if you need anything."

"Uh, sure," Blake said. "Why not."

She turned, walking away and Wulfe and the others walked over.

"She's pretty," Wulfe said.

"Way out of your league," Leon said.

"Yeah, you don't have the best record with girls," Ava said. "You may be good looking, but you have the worst luck choosing."

Fox rolled his eyes. "This one's different."

"Why, because she wears a bow to hide-" Leon stopped as Wulfe stomped on his foot.

"Watch it big mouth," Wulfe said. "Not everyone's proud."

Leon rolled his eyes and they all headed to the cliff.

* * *

Fox sighed, crossing his arms as he stood on the launch pad. To his far right, the blonde that tried to flirt with Weiss, Jeanne Fox thought he was called, was asking Ozpin how they would be getting to the bottom of the cliff, even as, one by one, everyone else was launched. Finally, Fox was sent hurtling through the air, flipping once, keeping his arms crossed, before waiting to land. Around him, everyone else, including his friends, used either their Semblance or their weapons to land safely. In a manner of speaking, that was true for Fox as well, but his was a bit less...flashy than the rest.

He landed hard, dropping into a squat with the momentum and kicking up a thin cloud of dust. Then, he stood, brushing off his clothes and walking away from the cliff. Ahead of him, a tree rustled. Ozpin had said that the first person they made eye contact with was supposed to be their partner, so, naturally, Fox dropped his eyes to the ground. He stepped through the brush, finding himself staring at a pair of black boots that reached above the bent knees and a green skirt above it. He looked up, smiling as Ava looked up at him, having had the same idea.

"I'm glad it's you," Fox smiled. "I'd have to kill Leon if I found him first."

"Now that hurts," Leon said, stepping out of the bushes with Wulfe. "Come on. If we get there first, we get first pick."

Fox nodded and they all walked through the forest. Before long, a massive black creature with white, scale-like armor over some parts of its body burst out of the trees, roaring at them.

"Awe man," Wulfe sighed, extending his claws. "Just one beowolf? What a disappointment."

He darted forward, ducking under the beowolf's first swipe then standing and spinning, slashing it several times and killing it. As soon as he had, three more, along with an Ursa Major. Wulfe grinned.

"Much better," Wulfe smirked, darting forward.

He flipped over the first beowolf, allowing Leon to step forward, his weapon going from a large folded up chunk of metal on his back to a massive sword longer than he was tall with a single-edged blade and a large metal block between the blade and the grip. He slashed the beowolf, splitting it in half as Wulfe rapidly cut down the rest.

"We're waisting time," Fox said. "Stop playing with them Wulfe. You're not a cat."

"I resent that," Leon said as they all started walking again. After a few more minutes without trouble, they reached a large, round, stone ruin with pedestals around it, each with a black or gold chess piece on them. Fox counted them.

"Four of each," Fox said.

"Queen," they all said.

They found the queen pieces and picked them up, pocketing them just as the bushes rustled. Fox turned to them as the blonde with the gauntlets, then Blake, stepped out of them, looking around.

"Hey Blake," Fox greeted.

"Oh, uh, hey," Blake said.

"Well that was easy to find," the blonde said. "Hey, I don't think we've met. "I'm Yang Xiao Long."

"I'm Fox," Fox said. "This is Wulfe, Leon, and Ava."

"Nice to meet you," Yang smiled, walking over and picking up a piece. "Hey Blake, how about a cute yellow horsey?"

"Sure, why not," Blake shrugged.

Just then, a scream rang out overhead. They all looked up, seeing a girl with shoulder length black hair, a black skirt, and a red cape with a hood falling toward them. Before she could land on Yang, Jeanne crashed into her from the side, both flying into a tree off to the side. Fox sighed just as an Ursa Minor came stumbling out of the trees, roaring before a blast of pink light went off behind it, killing it. As it did, an obnoxiously talkative and hyper girl with short orange hair, pink clothes, and a massive hammer that folded up into a grenade launcher flipped over it.

"Yeehaw!" she cheered before looking back at it. "Aw. It's broken."

"Well she's normal," Leon said sarcastically.

"Yeah," Fox said.

A boy with a green gi and white pants, black shoes, long black hair in a pony tail, and a single pink strip in his bangs followed her, breathing hard and asking the girl, Nora, to never do whatever she had done again. Fox sighed, turning back to the others. Just as he did, Pyrrha sprinted into the clearing with a Death Stalker scurrying after her.

"Really?" Fox said, unamused. "A Death Stalker?"

"I cant take it anymore!" Yang shouted, eyes red. "Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?"

Minus Pyrrha and the Death Stalker, everyone else stood still and silent. As if on cue, two seconds later, the girl with the black skirt pointed upward at a giant Nevermore, from whose talon, Weiss was clinging.

"How could you leave me!?" Weiss demanded.

"I said jump," the girl shrugged.

"She's got a point," Blake said.

Then, Weiss let go. Fox pinched the bridge of his nose as she fell, only for Jeanne to leap out of the tree he had been stuck in to catch her, only to fall with her instead. To his credit, his body _did_ soften her landed when she landed in a seated position on his back.

"My hero," Weiss grumbled, not amused in the slightest.

"My back!" Jeanne wheezed.

Fox rolled his eyes, looking to the Death Stalker, which was still chasing Pyrrha, and drew his weapon, spinning it into a sword and sprinting forward. Just as it moved to snap at her with a claw, he slammed his sword into the side of the claw, making it miss and allowing her to run to the others while Fox flipped onto the Death Stalker's back, driving the sword down into the Grimm's armor plate, not hurting it, but annoying it to get its attention.

"Hurry up and head back!" Fox called out.

"What about you?" Blake asked.

"I've got this," he waved.

"He's insane," Yang said.

"He's got this," Ava smiled. "Come on. That Nevermore will be back."

They all ran into the trees and Fox looked up as the Death Stalker's tail pulled back.

"You idiot," he grumbled. "You didn't even make it fun."

Then, he leapt off of it with his sword just before its own stinger impaled it. He landed in a roll and ran after the others. As he arrived, he found himself at a ruin, the others all hiding behind pillars as it shrieked, sitting on top of a pillar between them and the cliff.

"Hey, you caught up fast!" Wulfe shouted.

"He what?" Weiss shouted, spinning and glaring at him.

"Impossible!" Yang said.

"It stabbed itself," Fox shrugged.

"Possible," Pyrrha said. "Get to cover. They fire their feathers as projectiles."

"Oh, I know," Fox said, pressing a button on the base of his sword's grip. Instantly, the blade split down the center, the cross guard rotating so that it was pointed away from his fingers before sliding toward him then shifting back, placing the handle on the side of it, two pieces of metal now holding it in place there. The pieces of the blade stopped opening as they reached a very wide angle back toward him. Fox held it out, switching hands.

"What is that, a boomerang?" Weiss demanded.

"Not exactly," Fox said just as the Nevermore fired a wall of feathers at him.

He flipped and dodged through them, Nora stepping out and firing a grenade at it, forcing it to stop shooting just before Fox stepped into cover beside Blake.

"Promise you can keep a secret?" Fox asked.

"What?" Blake asked.

Fox closed his eyes, sniffing as a pair of snow-white ears stuck up from where they had been folded into his hair, twitching and tilting before folding down again.

"You too?" Blake breathed.

Fox smiled before stepping out closing his hand between the points of his blade pieces while holding his arm out, the blades vertical.

"You're going to kill this thing with a bow?" Blake asked.

"Uh...kind of," Fox said.

Then, a glowing white string appeared in his hand, connecting the ends of the blade pieces as a glowing arrow made out of the same odd energy formed. He pulled his hand back, the blades folding back even more, rather than bending. Then, he let go and the blades snapped back out to their previous position, the arrow streaking through the air, expanding as it went. Then, it hit the bird in the torso, having expanded so much that the arrow head split it in half. The arrow sped past the cliffs, vanishing into the distance as Fox pressed the button on his weapon's handle again, transforming it back into a sword before spinning it back into its compact form and putting it away.

"That was amazing!" Jeanne cheered. "What kind of weapon is that!?"

"A fancy one," Fox said. "Come on. We need to get back."

Jeanne nodded and they all ran to the cliffs. Once there, they all used their weapons or Semblances to climb up it, Fox simply running up the side with Jeanne, who cheered the entire way.

* * *

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	3. Chapter 3

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Passage

Fox watched as Jaune was thoroughly beaten to a pulp by the class's bully, Cardin, a tall, muscular boy with combed back red hair, a full suit of armor, and a large mace for a weapon. Finally, the teacher of the combat class, Glynda Goodwitch, called the match.

"Hey Pyrrha," Fox said, Pyrrha looking back at him. "Teach him to fight, would you?"

Pyrrha nodded as Fox stood.

"I'd like to challenge Cardin," Fox spoke up.

"Sure," Glynda nodded.

Fox walked to the sparring ring, spinning his weapon into is sword form, then standing with it hanging loosely by his side. Cardin readied himself and Glynda told them to begin. Cardin, being the musclebound fool he was, struck instantly, lunging and making a wide, sweeping arc with his mace, which Fox easily ducked under. Cardin swung it around and down at Fox and Fox turned to the side, the mace crashing to the ground. Then, Fox drilled a knee into Cardin's jaw, hurling him backward. Cardin flipped, landing on his feet and sprinting forward again. As he swung at Fox again, Fox batted the mace aside with his own weapon, then slammed the base of the grip into Cardin's gut, lifting him off the ground before flipping and kicking him, sending him crashing to the ground again. As Cardin was standing, Fox stepped up next to him, slashing upward and sending him flying, his Aura dropping to almost nothing, low enough that it was shimmering over his body.

"That's enough," Glynda said. "The winner is Fox Winters."

"So, listen, Cardin," Fox said, kneeling down beside him. "You're going to play nice. And you're _not_ going to bother anybody else. And if you do, for any reason, I'll be back to fight you again. Only, I won't hold back next time."

Cardin glared at him before sighing and pushing himself up with his mace. "Fine."

He turned, walking away just as the bell rang. Fox spun his sword back into its folded up form and they all left, heading to their next class.

* * *

Fox stared at the building. It was destroyed. That wasn't the plan. Or even remotely the idea. The idea was to take it with no casualties and no damage. To keep the operations on the down low.

"Looks like things got a little out of hand," Wulfe said. "Interruption?"

"Maybe," Fox said. "Not really our problem. Not our job anymore."

"Isn't it?" Wulfe asked, Fox turning to him. "You lost a fight and now you just want to turn over a new leaf? What's up with you?"

"I...I'm not sure how to explain it," Fox sighed. "I just...when I fought Ozpin...I don't know. It was like...the longer we fought, the more I could see his strikes coming. Like I knew what he'd do. And then...I don't know. It felt like I knew him."

"What, like met him before?" Wulfe asked.

"No," Fox said. "More...more like...a friend. Like I know you. Except, he was a complete stranger at the same time."

Wulfe shook his head. "I don't understand you man. I really don't."

"I'm starting to think I don't either," Fox chuckled. "Come on. We should get back to the school."

Wulfe nodded and they both turned, heading back to their dorm.

* * *

Fox sighed as he walked through the trees. The class was at the Forest of Forever Fall, with Glynda leading their field trip. She had warned them about there being Grimm, and then she had handed them jars and told them to collect sap. Fox had finished that. As had Wulfe, Leon, and Ava. Now, they were more or less wandering around while they waited for everyone else. Most were nearly done as well, but Ren and Nora were having trouble with the task on account of Nora repeatedly drinking the sap once Ren had collected it. He smirked. They were practically a couple. The only thing missing was them admitting it, to themselves as much as each other. Fox's eyes swept through the trees until he spotted Blake. She was finished and sitting against a tree, reading.

"Well, go talk to her, ladies man," Wulfe grinned.

"Shut up," Fox grumbled.

Just then, roaring reached their ears. They turned, looking away from the group before running toward the sound, a few of the others following. Finally, they slowed to a stop, finding Jaune facing an Ursa Major. Fox reached for his weapon but Pyrrha caught his hand.

"Wait," she whispered. "Watch. He's improved."

As they watched, Jaune managed to land two slashes, dodging several swipes before being caught in the air and hurled. Fox looked to Pyrrha but she shook her head. Fox sighed, crossing his arms and leaning against a tree. Finally, after being thrown a second time, Jaune charged, the Ursa swiping at him as he neared him. And Jaune had his shield too low. Then, Pyrrha raised her hand, and Jaune's shield rose, a black aura around both it and Pyrrha's hand for a moment. Jaune's shield blocked the Ursa's blow and he decapitated it. Fox raised an eyebrow.

"Polarity," Fox mused. "That explains a lot. Glad to see that even the Invincible Girl has flaws."

"Let's just keep this our little secret," Pyrrha said. "Please?"

"Sure," Fox shrugged. "Not like there's anything in it for me to tell."

He walked away and the rest of his team followed.

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Misspoken

Fox stared at the shop. Another one destroyed. This one burned.

"Interruption?" Wulfe asked, sounding like even he didn't really believe it anymore.

"You have too much faith in him, Wulfe," Fox said.

"And you have too little," Leon said. "Sure the shops are being destroyed, but they're just human shops."

"Leon," Fox growled.

"Some of our friends are human," Ava said.

"And some of our friends are waiting for us to stop acting like children," Leon said.

Fox turned, glaring at him. "I'll say this only one time. We are not working for them anymore. I'm done with the pointless violence."

"Right," Leon said. "I forgot. You're a goody two shoes now. One of Ozpin's children. Fuck this. I'm heading back. Let me know when you're ready to stop playing around."

"Heading back where?" Fox growled.

Leon flipped him off and kept walking. Ava sighed.

"I...think I'm going to head back to the dorm," Ava sighed. "It's...well...I just want to go to bed, I think."

Fox sighed and nodded. Wulfe sighed.

"Oh not you too," Fox said.

"No no," Wulfe said. "It's just...we really didn't sign up for...this."

"You signed up for equality," Fox said.

"You didn't?" Wulfe asked.

"I signed up because he said he could help me figure out why I dream what I do," Fox said. "But he can't. And some part of me thinks Ozpin can."

"Well then, why don't we go ask?" Wulfe asked.

"No," Fox said. "First, I want to know why they need dust. We've never needed it before."

"True," Wulfe nodded. "Want me to see what I can sniff out?"

"Yeah," Fox nodded. "But be discreet."

"Oh you know me," Wulfe said.

"That's why I'm telling you," Fox said.

"Alright, fine," Wulfe said. "You're no fun."

He turned, walking away, and Fox turned back to the store, staring. Just then, several familiar voices reached his ears. He turned as Team RWBY walked around the corner. He still had to laugh at the name. What a coincidence that Ruby was the leader, and the team name was pronounced the same. Not that he could talk. His own team was spelled F-A-W-L and pronounced fowl. Suspiciously fitting.

"Hey Fox," Blake said. "What are you doing here?"

"I was walking by and so this," Fox said.

"I would have figured you'd be with your little degenerate friends," Weiss said.

Fox had no idea what he did to earn her bad side, assuming she had anything else, but he didn't care. He _did_ care about her talking bad about his friends.

"They're not degenerates!" Fox snapped, Blake saying the same thing.

"Oh what do _you_ care?" Weiss asked her. "And sorry, how about hooligans, then?"

"You're a racist bitch, you know that?" Fox growled. "It's not their fault they were born with tails and you were born with flawless skin, snow-white hair, and a rich last name!"

"How dare you!?" Weiss demanded.

"I dare perfectly fine, Ice Queen," Fox growled.

"Enough!" Yang snapped. "No one's going to change anyone's mind by yelling."

"You're right," Fox said. "Of course, doing shit like this isn't going to help either. Fucking White Fang."

"You don't know this was the White Fang!" Blake said.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was," Fox said. "Don't for the life of me know _why_ they need dust, but it was them alright."

"Well, they never caught that Roman Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago," Ruby said. "Maybe it was him."

Everyone was silent for a moment before Fox turned back to Weiss.

"So let me guess, Ice Queen, the White Fang are, what?" Fox asked. "A bunch of degenerates too?"

"Disgusting criminally insane psychopaths," Weiss said, crossing her arms. "Every single one of them."

"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths," Blake said. "They're a bunch of misguided individuals."

"Please," Weiss scoffed. "They want to wipe humanity off the face of the planet."

"So then they're _very_ misguided," Blake argued.

"All they know how to do is lie, cheat, and steal," Weiss said.

"That's not necessarily true," Yang said.

"Hey, stop that faunus!" a voice shouted suddenly.

They all turned toward the dock as they saw a muscular blonde with messy hair, and open, white, button-up shirt, and a pair of jeans with the bottoms rolled up and a yellow-furred monkey tail swishing behind him sprinting along the deck of a ship. Fox raised an eyebrow as the guy leapt from the ship to dock, then took off at a run again.

"You no-good stowaway!" one of the people that had been chasing him on the ship shouted.

"Hey, a no-good stowaway would have gotten caught," the guy yelled, now hanging upside down from a lamp post by his tail while peeling a banana. "I'm a great stowaway."

A couple of police officers that had been working at the shop's crime scene walked over.

"Hey, get down from there this instant!" one of them ordered, only to receive a banana peel to the face.

"I like him," Fox said as the faunus jumped over the cops, landing in a roll and running again.

A few moments later, he was running past them and turned to Blake, winking, then continued on his way. Fox rolled his eyes.

"I take it back," Fox said. "He's a degenerate scum."

"Thank you," Weiss said.

"He was joking!" Blake said.

"No he was't!" Weiss argued.

"No I was totally kidding," Fox said. "I like his attitude."

"What, 'fuck it, let's have a good time?'" Yang snorted.

"Yup, that's the one," Fox said. "He's fun to be around. I can tell."

"He's still a filthy..." Weiss trailed off as Fox leveled a glare at her.

"Choose your next words carefully," Fox said, weapon in hand.

"Well Weiss," Yang said. "You wanted to observe the competition, and there it goes."

"Oh shoot!" Weiss said. "You're right! Quick, after him!"

She took off running, Yang and Ruby following.

Fox sighed. "This bitch." He slid his weapon back into its case as Blake rested a hand on his shoulder.

"We need to talk after this," Blake said.

Fox nodded and they both turned, sprinting after the others and catching up quickly. As they reached an alleyway corner, they found the other three talking to a girl with short orange hair that curled inward along the bottom and had a large pink bow in the back, a cheery smile, a white blouse under a light grey shirt that only covered her back and abdomen and that had neon green lines reaching up about halfway from the bottom and spread about six inches from each other, then two lines ending in dots wrapping around from behind and stopping about six inches from each other, black pants with a neon green line down the sides of her pants, black shoes, and a black collar-like cloth around her neck with neon green down the front then on the back half.

"Oh, uh, hi," Fox said. "I'm Fox."

"Blake," Blake said.

"I'm Penny," the girl said. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Fox blinked. Yup. This girl was...weird. To say the least.

"Well, anyway, sorry for running into you," Weiss said, the others all turning to leave.

"See ya," Fox said, walking away.

"Take care friend," Ruby said.

"She was...weird," Yang said.

"That's an understatement," Fox chuckled. "She seemed nice though."

"Where did that faunus riffraff run off to?" Weiss asked.

"What did you call me?" Penny asked, suddenly standing in front of them.

"Wha...how...but you were..." Fox looked between the alleyway and then back at Penny, Weiss doing the same thing.

"Oh I'm really sorry about that," Yang said. "I definitely didn't think you heard me."

"And that makes it okay?" Fox asked.

"No, not you," Penny said, walking past her to stop in front of Ruby. "You."

"Me?" Ruby squeaked. "Um...I-I don't know...uh...I-I...what I...um, uh-"

"You called me 'friend,'" Penny said. "Am I really your friend?"

"Uuuummmmm," Ruby said, looking past Penny to the others, everyone but Fox shaking their head, Fox still looking between Penny and the alleyway in confusion. "Yeah, sure, why not."

All three girls nearly fainted, Fox finally shaking his head, and sighing heavily. Penny raised her hands into the air, feet placed on in front of the other like a combat stance as she laughed and twisted her upper body back and forth.

"Sen...sational!" Penny said. "We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!"

"Oh, is this what it was like when you met me?" Ruby murmured to Weiss, who was standing beside her now.

"No, she seems _far_ more coordinated," Weiss said.

"So, what are you doing in Vale?" Yang asked.

"I'm here to fight in the tournament," Penny said.

"Wait, _you're_ fighting in the tournament?" Weiss asked.

"I'm combat ready," Penny said, saluting Weiss then chopping her hand down to her hip.

"Forgive me, but you hardly look the part," Weiss said.

"Says the girl wearing a dress," Blake said.

"Agreed," Fox said.

"It's a combat skirt," Weiss said.

"Yeah," Ruby said, stepping up beside her, Weiss holding out her hand and Ruby slapping it.

"Oh, so the idea is to distract the grimm by giving them a peak up your skirt during combat," Fox joked.

"Oh, not _that_ would be funny," Yang said.

"Ew no!" Ruby said.

"Wait a minute," Weiss said. "If you're here for the tournament, does that must mean you know that monkey-tailed..."

Blake and Fox both glared at her.

"...rapscallion?" Weiss finished.

"The who?" Penny asked.

"The filthy faunus from the boat!" Weiss said, holding up a very poor sketch.

"Why do you keep saying that!?" Blake demanded.

"He's _not_ a 'filthy faunus' you fucking bitch!" Fox snapped.

"Huh?" Weiss asked.

"Stop calling him a rapscallion!" Blake said. "Stop calling him a degenerate! He's a person!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Weiss said. "Would you like me to stop referring to the trashcan as a trashcan, or this lamppost as a lamppost?"

Fox growled angrily, struggling not to expose himself.

"Stop it!" Blake shouted.

"Stop what?" Weiss asked. "He clearly broke the law! Give him time, he'll probably join up with those other faunus in the White Fang!"

"You ignorant little brat!" Blake snapped.

Then, they all stopped as Fox swung his fist out to his side, slamming the bottom of it into a brick wall, cracking the wall. He took several uneven breaths before lowering his hand.

"That's enough, racist bitch," Fox snarled. "Say one more bad word about faunus around me, and the wall I hit will be you."

And with that, he turned, walking quickly away, Blake following.

"How can you talk to me like that!?" Weiss demanded. "Do you know who I am!?"

"Yeah!" Fox shouted, rounding on her. "You're a spoiled little brat who had everything in life handed to her because she was born with the right _last name_! Some of us didn't have the luxury of being born into a mansion and servants! Some of us had to fend for ourselves from the time they were born! I'm sorry that you hate faunus because you were raised with tons of money and they all are barely able to get enough money legally to keep themselves alive! But that doesn't make you better than them! You wouldn't last a single day as a faunus, the way you act! You don't know how to do _anything_ for yourself!"

"You think I had it easy!?" Weiss shouted. "Every time there was a dust shipment, the White Fang would attack it! I had friends that defended the train who were killed! I had friends who were in charge of the company just disappear! And every day my father would come home angry and take it out on my family! You want to know why I despise the White Fang? Because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!"

"Well clearly we made the wrong people disappear!" Fox snapped before blinking in surprise.

Before anyone could react, he growled in annoyance, turning and sprinting out of the alleyway, leaping across the street onto a window sill, then up onto the building. He made it three buildings away before Blake caught his arm. He grabbed her wrist and yanked her hand off, snarling and leaping back, crouching as he spun his weapon into sword form.

"I don't want to fight!" Blake said hurriedly, holding her hands up. "Did...did you really mean what you said?"

"No," Fox sighed, putting his weapon away. "I was never one of the ones making people disappear. My friends and I had a single rule. No casualties, no damage. And a lot of the other groups who worked around us worked the same way. Well, no casualties except for the few times we were ordered to go and fight someone because they were a threat. That's actually how I met Ozpin. I was ordered by Adam to kill Ozpin, as if that were possible."

Blake stared at the ground before reaching up to her bow.

"It's fine," Fox said. "You don't need to. I know. I could smell it."

"You're an arctic fox, right?" Blake asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I honestly don't know," Fox said. "My earliest memories were living alone on the street at the age of five, and having the White Fang find me."

"I see," Blake nodded. "My family used to be in charge of them, you know. My father. Once the new leader took over, I called my family cowards and left to continue working for the White Fang. But over time, their use of violence almost everywhere began to become too much. So I quit."

"I see," Fox nodded. "Honestly, I only quit because some part of me was telling me to work for Ozpin. Wulfe was more loyal and, while he'll follow me anywhere, he still has faith in the White Fang. Ava always hated it. She hates killing. Except Grimm. But Leon..."

"He's a hardliner, right?" Blake asked.

"Not really hardliner," Fox said. "More...lifer. He's having trouble accepting that we're not a part of Beacon just to ambush Ozpin to finish our last mission."

"How _was_ it to fight him?" Blake asked.

"Humiliating," Fox snorted. "He's really good. I mean like, _really_ good. Like not human."

"Maybe he's got a really strong Semblance that you didn't notice," Blake shrugged.

"Maybe," Fox said. "Weiss's probably going to rat me out to Glynda, now. Not that Ozpin doesn't already know."

"Well, at least Ozpin can't through you out for lying," Blake shrugged. "So, are you going to stop hiding your ears now?"

"Maybe," Fox shrugged. "It's a tail too, though."

"What?" Blake asked. "Where?"

"There's a reason I wear pants with loose pant legs," Fox smirked. "I don't know. Maybe."

"You should," Blake said. "You looked good with the ears."

She stood and Fox watched her for a moment before smiling and standing.

"I should make sure Leon didn't take off and head back to White Fang," Fox said. "He and I...got into an argument earlier. And Wulfe is checking in with old friends to see why the White Fang is stealing dust."

"So it really is them?" Blake asked.

"Oh yeah," Fox nodded. "It's them. Want to fuck up their plans with me?"

"Definitely," Blake nodded.

They walked to the edge of a building and Fox dropped, then turned, catching Blake and setting her on her feet. Then, they headed back to the school.

* * *

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	5. Chapter 5

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Interrupting Progress

Fox stared at the faunus, Sun, in silence. He had invited Blake, and by extension Fox, to tea. Now, he sat there, sipping at tea using his tail to raise the cup, and silent, having just asked Blake to tell him about herself.

"So, you want to know more about me?" Blake sighed.

"Finally she speaks!" Sun said. "Nearly two days and you've given me nothing but small talk and weird looks."

This was true. He had been following Fox and Blake around for the last two days while they tried to investigate the White Fang. Wulfe had checked in once to say he found a lead, but that had been it.

Fox sighed as Blake glared at Sun.

"Yeah, like that," Sun said.

"That's probably because we're trying to do something, and you're following us around for no reason and interrupting," Fox said.

"Are you familiar with the White Fang?" Blake asked.

"Of course," Sun said. "I don't think there's a faunus on the planet who hasn't heard of them. Stupid, holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want. Bunch of freaks, if you ask me."

"Good thing we didn't," Fox said, taking a sip of his own tea.

"Both of us were...once members of the White Fang," Blake said, Sun choking on his tea.

"Wait a minute, _you_ were a member of the White Fang?" Sun asked. "Him I could believe 'cause he's kind of a dick, but _you_?"

"Fuck you too, Sun," Fox said. "My tenure with the White Fang ended...pretty recently. The headmaster of Beacon...well, he smartened me up, so to speak."

"He beat your ass," Sun translated.

"Wholesale," Fox nodded.

"I was a member for most of my life," Blake said as Sun turned back to her. "You could almost say I was born into it. Back then, things were different. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between humans and the faunus. Of course, despite being promised equality, the faunus were still treated with discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings. And so, the White Fang rose up as a voice of our people. And I was there. I was at the front of every rally. I took part in every boycott. And I actually thought that we were making a difference. But I was just a youthful optimist.

"Then, five years ago, our leader stepped down, and a new one took his place. A new leader, with a new way of thinking. Suddenly, our peaceful protests were being replaced with organized attacks. We were setting fire to shops that refused to serve us. Hijacking cargo from companies that used faunus labor."

"And the worst part was that it got us results," Fox said. "Just, not the results we wanted. We weren't respected as equals, we were feared as threats. Terrorists."

"Exactly," Blake nodded. "So, I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence. Instead, I would dedicate my life to becoming a Huntress. So here I am. A criminal hiding in plain view. All with the help of a little black bow."

"What about you?" Sun asked. "You get fed up with the violence too?"

"Honestly?" Fox asked. "I don't think I really care one way or the other. I try to care about the White Fang, but I can't. I _know_ what they're doing is wrong, but it doesn't really bother me. But when I fought Ozpin, I don't know. Something was different. I actually cared about my fight with Ozpin. And then when he offered me a place at Beacon, I cared about the offer. So I decided to join him. And me and my friends left the White Fang behind."

"And you don't think your friends are still loyal?" Sun asked.

"Maybe," Fox shrugged. "Leon probably is. He's too proud to go traitor without good reason. Ava and Wulfe were always loyal to me and each other before the White Fang."

"Ava, huh?" Sun asked, grinning. "Girlfriend?"

"Friend," Fox said. "I don't like her like that."

Sun nodded. "Have you told your friends about this?"

"In a manner of speaking," Fox said. "Weiss was talking about how the White Fang made people disappear from the Schnee Dust Company, not my team, for the record, and I may have accidentally intentionally hinted that the White Fang should have made her disappear instead."

"Smooth," Sun said. "How'd she take it?"

"About like you'd expect," Blake sighed. "He took off right after he said it, and I went after him. Not sure if they put two and two together yet, but they probably will soon."

Sun nodded. "So, you guys are doing...what?"

"We're trying to stop the White Fang from stealing Dust, and also find out why they need so much of it," Fox said.

"I see," Sun nodded. "Well, if it helps, when I was on the ship, I heard some guys talking about offloading a _huge_ shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas."

"How huge?" Blake asked.

"Huge," Sun said. "Big Schnee Company freighter."

"When?" Fox asked.

"Tonight," Sun said.

"That _is_ helpful," Fox nodded. "Okay. You can come. But you're only there to back us up when we get into a fight."

"If," Blake said.

"That's what I said," Fox said, Blake rolling her eyes.

"Cool," Sun nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

Fox and Blake watched the crates in silence. Sun was MIA, but Fox was glad about that.

"Did I miss anything?" Sun asked, Fox setting his head down.

"Not really," Blake said. "They've offloaded all the crates from the boat. Now they're just sitting there."

"Cool," Sun said before holding an apple out to her. "I stole you some food."

"Do you always break the law without a second thought?" Blake asked.

"Hey, weren't you in a cult or something?" Sun asked.

Fox growled at him as Blake glared.

"Okay, too soon," Sun said.

Just then, a troop transport appeared, seemingly from nowhere, the wind blowing the apples out of Sun's hands. The transport began to land in the middle of the crates, then opened the back door, White Fang members walking out.

"Oh no," Blake said. "You were right."

"Can I fuck them up now?" Fox asked.

"Not yet," Blake said.

"Hey!" a voice shouted suddenly. "What's the holdup?"

They looked, seeing a human in a clean white jacket with red inside the collar, a cane, and a black bowler hat with a black feather sticking up from the left side walking down the steps. Fox remembered seeing him on the news. Torchwick. A thief that Ruby had fought before joining Beacon.

"We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so, why don't you animals try to pick up the pace," Torchwick said.

"Well that makes absolutely no sense," Fox said. "Why the hell are the White Fang working with a human?"

Instantly, Blake was off, drawing her sword and dropping off the building, running toward the shadow of the crates.

"Jesus," Fox sighed, setting his head down. "She had one job. Just stay hidden and let me fight whenever we figure out what's up."

He sighed, dropping as well and drawing his weapon, spinning it into sword form as he reached the shadows. As he peeked out, Blake stepped up behind the human and held her sword to his throat.

"What the..." Torchwick said before rolling his eyes. "Oh for f-"

"Nobody move!" Blake said, one White Fang Member aiming his gun at her, another drawing a sword.

"Whoa," Torchwick said. "Take it easy there little lady."

More White Fang Soldiers began to arrive, so Fox switched his weapon to its bow form, firing an arrow behind the crates, the arrow curving around the stack and then slamming into the ground in front of Torchwick from off to the side of where Fox was.

"Move again and you die!" Blake said. "Our sniper doesn't miss on accident, and never more than once." She threw off her bow, exposing her ears. "Brothers of the White Fang, why are you aiding this scum?"

"Oh kid, didn't you get the memo?" Torchwick asked.

"What are you talking about?" Blake asked.

"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together," Torchwick said. "Tell me what it is, or I'll put an end to your little operation."

Just then, two more planes arrived, Fox staring at them. That was all?

"I wouldn't exactly call it a _little_ operation," Torchwick said.

Fox looked back at Torchwick just as the end of his cane fired a blast of Dust into the ground between Blake's feet, throwing her backward. He fired several arrows around the crates instantly, hitting two of the White Fang members but Torchwick somehow managed to dodge. Fox flipped over the crates, switching back to his sword, and sprinted forward, rolling under several shots before standing and slashing at Torchwick, his blade meeting Torchwick's cane. Torchwick smirked before Fox planted a fist into his jaw, hurling him. Then, Fox turned to the White Fang Members, allowing his ears to stand up.

"Oh shit!" one of them gasped. "It's Fox!"

"Why's he trying to stop us?" another gasped.

"Just kill him!" a third shouted. "Before he kills us!"

The third opened fire, but Fox ducked under the initial burst, darting forward and to the left, then leapt to the other side over the stream, reaching the White Fang member and removing his head. As Fox landed, Torchwick fired at him, only for tackle him out of the way, hurling a banana peel into Torchwick's face. The moment Torchwick stepped backward, Blake reached him, planting a foot into his face. Fox nodded to Sun once before turning to the White Fang again. As he did, several of the White Fang's more elite fighters, the difference being illustrated within the group by their weapons being mostly red, flipped out of one of the planes, landing in front of Fox. Fox readied himself before smirking and setting the tip of his blade on the ground, leaning on the end of the weapon. Then, Wulfe landed in the middle of them, dropping them all within seconds barehanded.

"And this is why you are the one that taught me to fight barehanded," Fox said as more planes began to arrive with more troops.

Sun began to fight a group of troops around him using, a bo staff that broke down into nunchucks, each set of which had a gun attached. As he did, Blake moved to fight Torchwick again. For a moment, she did well, using her Semblance, leaving behind copies of herself that would take the hit for her, to stay ahead of him. After a minute, however, he managed to land a string of hits, dropping her. Fox charged next, Torchwick leaping away and rapidly firing at him, forcing Fox to leap away as well.

"Hey!" Ruby shouted, stepping into view on a crate off to the side, spinning her scythe.

"Oh hello Red," Torchwick said. "Isn't it past your bed time?"

Penny stepped up behind Ruby, Ruby turning to warn her to stay back. As she did, Torchwick moved to fire at her, only for Fox to knock his cane upward, the blast sailing over Ruby's head. Penny was less than pleased. She stepped forward and a floating blade appeared behind her, then seemed to multiply into eight, all floating behind her like a set of wings. She leapt to the ground and began to wreak havoc on the White Fang members. Wulfe was doing the same a little ways away, and Fox was fighting Torchwick, who was actually quite good with his cane. He dodged or blocked all of the attacks Fox threw, trying to hit Fox back, wither with his cane or with the blasts of Dust it fired, however, Fox was better. After about thirty seconds, Fox hooked the cane through the curved end and spun, yanking it away and hurling it before jumping and spinning, kicking Torchwick in the head and throwing him away.

Torchwick landed beside a plane and climbed onto it instantly just as a green laser flashed overhead, blasting two of the four planes that were present and split them in half, allowing them to crash to the ground and explode. Then, she sent her blades into the side of one trying to escape with a crate, walking backward and dragging it to the girl. Torchwick's took off as Penny was pulling hers down so Fox switched his sword to its bow mode, pulling the string back and aiming.

"Boom," he smirked, firing.

His friends, who had all finished fighting, watched as the arrow hit a turbine, making the turbine explode and the helicopter spin out of control, flipping upside down just before plowing into the water, bits of metal flying off of it as it hit. The crate it had been carrying then rapidly pushed the plane under.

"Nice shot!" Sun said.

"Thanks," Fox said. "I try. Sometimes."

They looked around, seeing Blake and Wulfe tying up the remaining White Fang members. Then, they all moved off to the side to wait for the cops.

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Problems

Fox leaned against the wall, Sun and Sun's friend Neptune leaning beside him. In front of them, Team RWBY and Team JNPR, consisting of Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren, were having the biggest, most entertainingly violent food fight ever. They were using food in place of their weapons. Throwing cans of soda for bullets, Yang had her hands shoved up a pair of turkeys' asses, gross as it was, for a pair of gauntlets, Pyrrha and Jaune were using ridiculously long breadsticks for swords, and Ren was using celery in place of knives.

"Twenty bugs says Team RWBY wins," Fox said.

"Which one's which?" Sun asked.

"The team closer to us with the blonde, the Schnee, Blake, and the girl with the red cape is Team RWBY," Fox said. "Pyrrha is on Team JNPR."

"As much as I want RWBY to win, no one beats Pyrrha," Sun said.

"I have to agree," Neptune said.

Fox grinned and they all shook hands. A few minutes later, as Ruby found herself as the last member of RWBY standing, she shot forward using her speed semblance, making all of the food she past fly after her in her tailwind. Then, she leapt into the air, spinning and sending a tornado of food flying at Team JNPR, slamming them all into the wall before the various sodas, juices, and condiments painted the wall a massive rainbow of colors. Then, the four members of Team JNPR fell to the ground, Team RWBY cheering as Fox grinned, accepting his winnings.

* * *

Fox smiled, walking along with his hands behind his head, Blake at his side, silent as always, but seeming a little more moody.

"Relax," Fox smiled. "We'll sneak in, beat the ever-living shit out of a bunch of White Fang members, and be out again before you get bored."

"I don't think bored will be a problem," Blake said. "We have no idea what they're planning."

"That's why we're here," Fox smiled.

"Yeah!" Sun said, draping an arm around Blake, which she shrugged off instantly.

Fox glared at him. The one thing to make the mission anything but great. Fox liked Sun as a person. But he didn't like the fact that Sun was constantly flirting with Blake. Or the fact that she didn't outright reject him.

"Why are you here again Sun?" Fox asked.

"Because you two are too well known," Sun said. "i'm here to throw them off."

"Or you'll attract unwanted attention," Blake said.

"Oh, you know you need me," Sun said.

"Need, no," Fox said. "Want, not particularly. Stuck with, yes."

Sun grinned. "Cheer up. At least you get to beat on some White Fang creeps."

"Again, I'd remind you that you're walking with two former members," Fox said, accepting a mask from Blake as they reached a back alley.

He put it on as Blake put her own on and handed one to Sun.

"I don't get it, if you believe what you're doing is right, why hide who you are?" Sun asked.

"The masks are a symbol," Blake said. "Humanity wanted to make monsters out of us, so we chose to don the faces of monsters."

"Grimm masks," Sun said. "That's, kinda dark."

"So was the guy who started it," Blake said.

"Always sunshine and rainbows with you," Sun said as Blake and Fox walked away, both allowing their ears to show, Fox also having his tail out in the open this time.

They reached a door where initiates were being let in to a warehouse and walked in, looking around and taking in the security. Maybe ten White Fang members on guard duty, including the pair at the door. Fox rolled his eyes. Amateurs. The bigger problem were the fifty or so White Fang members, not including initiates, that were assembled to wait for the speech, if the stage at the front of the warehouse was anything to go by. Still not bad. Now, if the speaker was Adam, they'd have a problem.

"Thank you all for coming," a large, muscular lieutenant with a full-faced mask, rather than the half masks everyone else wore, and a tribal tattoo winding around his left arm said from the stage as the initiates finished filing in, Fox, Blake, and Sun all in the middle of them. "For those of you who are joining us for the first time tonight, allow me to introduce a very special comrade of ours. I can assure you, he is the key to obtaining what we have fought for for so long."

Torchwick walked out on stage and Fox sighed. Of course he was alive. He sensed Blake starting to get agitated, or maybe nervous, and grabbed her hand. She glanced at him before nodding slightly, calming, and Fox let go.

"Thank you, thank you! Please hold your applause!" Torchwick stopped beside the lieutenant, completely ignoring the fact that there was no one cheering or clapping.

Fox looked past Torchwick and spotted a girl with pink hair on one side and brown on the other, her hair falling down her back with some over her right shoulder. She wore a white half jacket with long coattails, and that had a pink collar and cuffs on her sleeve, black gloves, a black sweater was exposed from under the half jacket, dark brown pants, and knee-high white boots with snaps up the outsides. In her hands was an umbrella that had a curved black handle and a black shaft, then a pinkish white rain guard. When she turned, looking directly at him, he saw that her eyes matched her hair color, but on opposite sides. Fox could tell she'd be trouble.

"What's a human doing here!?" a deer initiate demanded.

"I'm glad you asked that dearie," Torchwick said, Fox snorting.

"What?" Blake asked quietly.

"Dearie," Fox snorted. "Because she's a deer."

Blake rolled her eyes, sighing as Sun snorted on Fox's other side.

"...humans are the worst," Torchwick said, indicating himself. "Case and point. So I understand why you would love to see us all locked away or, better yet, killed. But-"

"Is he going somewhere with this, or...?" Sun whispered to Blake and Fox.

"...would like to mention the fact that you and I _all_ have a common enemy," Torchwick was saying. "The ones in control. The ones pulling the strings. The dirty rotten humans that run our kingdoms. Government. Military. Even the schools. They're all to blame for _your_ lot in life."

"Has he ever been to a school?" Fox whispered.

"Probably not," Blake replied.

"And they're all pests that need to be dealt with," Torchwick said. "Fortunately, I'm the best exterminator around. No offense to any rodents in the room."

He snapped his fingers and the curtain hanging in the middle of the stage was lifted. Behind it was a massive mechanical suit with a cockpit between the arms, the arms being a pair of what looked like heavy machine guns, and there were a pair of legs below the cockpit. Fox stared at it. That thing looked like it was hard to break. The audience cheered.

"Uh, that's a big robot," Sun said.

"How did he get that?" Blake asked.

"Stole it from Atlas, if I had to guess," Fox said.

"As some of you may have heard, this right here," Torchwick tapped its knee with a fist, "is Atlas's newest line of defense against all the scary things in the world. And thanks to my employer, we've managed to snag a few before they, uh, hit the shelves."

"Called it," Fox whispered.

"Shush," Blake said.

"Now, many of your brothers have already moved down to our operation in the South East," Torchwick said. "If you would rather stay within the city, that's fine. But if you're truly ready to fight for what you believe in, this is the arsenal that I can provide you. Any questions?"

The audience began to cheer. Fox looked around.

"We should get out of here," Blake said.

"All new recruits, please come forward," the lieutenant said.

"Whelp..." Sun said as the three of them stood there, trying to think of a way out of the situation, the rest of the initiates walking around them.

Fox looked to the stage as Torchwick turned, looking at them, since they were the only ones standing still. "My turn?"

"Not yet," Blake said.

"He sees us," Sun said.

"He can't see in the dark," Blake said.

She drew her sword, the blade folding backward before she pulled the trigger, a bullet hitting a fuse box, the lights going out instantly. As she and Sun turned to run, the White Fang members turned to catch them, only for Fox to begin beating them to bloody pulps, not bothering to draw his sword. After the first twenty hit the ground, and Blake and Sun had escaped out a window, Fox turned, seeing the robot charging at him, and leapt into the air, catching the top of its head and riding it out of the building. Outside, he sat up, the robot charging down the street after Blake and Sun. Fox waved to Sun when Sun glanced back in the air, currently jumping from building to building with Blake and Sun grinned, flashing him a thumbs up before landing at a sprint again. Fox drew his weapon, spinning it into a sword and driving it down into the robot, then jumped off, swinging around on the sword's handle and using his weight and momentum to make the robot turn before ripping his sword back out and landing at a sprint as the robot fell over. He leapt to the buildings, catching up with Sun and Blake just before they leapt onto a raised freeway, all three landing on cars, then leaping from one to the next. A moment later, the robot crashed down, taking off at a run and catching up quickly, throwing cars out of the way.

Fox jumped, switching to his bow and pulling it back as he turned, sending an arrow at the robot. However, the arrow shattered against the robot in a shower of white sparks. It _did_ , however, make the robot spin mid-step and crash to the ground again. Blake and Sun cheered, only to stop as the robot stood again, sprinting after them again. Suddenly, several blasts of what looked like ice crashed into its back before Neptune leapt into the air with a long staff ending in an oddly shaped trident, driving it into the robot's back. Instantly, Sun turned, placing his hands together.

"Neptune, hang on!" Sun shouted, a pair of glowing gold replicas of himself appearing and leaping at the robot, exploding against it harmlessly before Sun leapt at it with his staff.

Before he could get there, the robot turned, Neptune being thrown off of its back with his spear and crashing into Sun, both flying off of the freeway. Just as they did, Weiss landed in front of the robot from a higher freeway and drove her sword into the ground, ice forming on the ground. The robot slipped on it, crashing through the wall of the freeway and falling. It landed on its feet, Ruby standing behind it, and Fox jumped with Blake, they, Weiss, and Yang all landing around it, the four girls on one side and Fox on the other.

"My turn?" Fox called out.

"Okay, yes Fox, it's your turn," Blake said.

Fox cheered, sprinting forward, Torchwick turning to him. The robot fired a pair of blue energy blasts at Fox out of its arms and Fox flipped over them, landing on its face and slashing the left arm, forcing it outward and breaking the gun's mount, which was like the robot's shoulder, before flipping to the ground just as a thick fog filled the area, Fox sprinting into it and away from the robot. A moment later, the robot began to turn, looking around until it spotted Yang and Blake, firing at them. It missed, and Ruby shot over the explosion, her scythe slamming into the robot without damaging it.

Ruby flipped to the ground and shouted, "Checkmate!"

Weiss and Blake shot forward, both attacking its legs rapidly, forcing it back until Weiss stabbed one of the three laser sensors that were allowing Torchwick to see what was going on through the fog. As she leapt away, the robot began to raise its foot to crush Blake, only for Fox to land beside her, sweeping her off of her feet and flipping over the robot's foot landing on its head and stabbing one of the other sensors, Blake stabbing the last one. Then, he leapt off again, landing behind Torchwick and setting Blake down again, both taking off at a sprint. Just as they did, missiles began to explode where they had been, then in a pair of trails following them. Finally, they both flipped out of the way of the last of the first volley of missiles, landing beside each other again as a second volley flew at them.

Fox rolled his eyes, setting his hand on Blake's shoulder, her body glowing and her sword and sheath both practically shining. "Swing."

Blake did so and an arc of white energy shot off of her sword, Blake instantly beginning to spin and slash with both weapons, Fox getting out of her way as she split all of the missiles in half, the pieces exploding in the air behind her. As the energy faded, Fox sprinted forward again, Ruby nodding to him. He nodded back, tapping his sword against her scythe, which glowed white. Then, she pulled the trigger on her scythe, the sniper rifle sending her flying forward at the same time as one of Weiss's glyphs did the same for Fox. Their blades crashed into the robot's legs, tipping it forward onto its face before Yang crashed down on its right shoulder, Blake on the left, both guns breaking off and spinning away. Instantly, thrusters in the feet went off, launching the robot forward, sending it blasting into Yang, who flew backward, smashing through three supports for the freeway above them, which thankfully didn't collapse instantly, and bouncing along the ground.

"Yang!" Blake shouted.

"Don't worry," Ruby said. "With each hit she gets stronger, and she uses that energy to fight back. That's what makes her special."

As she had been speaking, Yang was standing up. Finally, she looked up at the robot, irises glowing red, and shot forward. The robot kicked out at her but she punched straight through it, shattering the leg.

"Woo!" Fox cheered as Yang skidded past him and Blake. "Go Yang! Fuck 'em up!"

Yang began to turn, her momentum making her skid and Blake hurled her gun, clinging to the string. Yang caught the gun and began to sung in a circle. As she neared Torchwick, she let go, flying at him and drilling a punch into the robot's side, making Torchwick fly out of the remains, crashing to the ground and bouncing, rolling to a stop and standing, dusting off his coat. Yang punched, sending a red dust blast at him, but before it could hit, the girl with pink and brown hair landed in front of them, her umbrella blocking the shot completely. She swung the open umbrella around, setting it on her shoulder and smiling at them, eyes staring at Fox.

"Her again," Fox grumbled.

"Ladies, Gentleman, Ice Queen," Torchwick said, standing.

"Hey!" Weiss said, Fo snorting in amusement.

"Always a pleasure," Torchwick said, gripping the brim of his hat and dipping his head. "Neo, if you would."

Neo bowed, one leg stepping back and her free arm reaching out to the side. Yang shot forward, punching at her as Neo moved her umbrella into Yang's path, only for the entire scene in front of Yang to shatter like glass, both being gone. Fox's mouth fell open as he stared. Then, a plane flew by, both Neo and Torchwick waving as the door closed and the plane rose up behind the safety of the freeways where Fox couldn't shoot them.

"Damn," Fox sighed. "She's good."

"I think she's annoying," Yang said.

"Agreed," Fox said. "Still, that was an impressive trick."

"Yeah, she really made our plans...fall apart," Weiss said.

"No, just no," Blake said, turning to walk away, the others all following.

"What?" Weiss said. "But you do it!"

"There's a time and a place for joke," Yang said.

"Was this not it?" Weiss asked.

"This was the perfect time," Fox said, walking backward. "The difference is that when we do it, it's actually funny."

"Speak for yourself," Blake said.

Fox rolled his eyes, grinning and turning back around. "You know that one was funny. You're just trying to protect your reputation."

"Keep telling yourself that," Blake said.

"Wait, where are Sun and Neptune?" Ruby called out suddenly.

"Who cares," Fox said. "I'm sure they're fine. Sun's too annoying to die that easy. And Neptune...well, he was with Sun, so I'm sure he's fine too."

The all shrugged, heading back toward the school.

* * *

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	7. Chapter 7

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Intruder

Fox sighed as they walked out of Glynda's class. Pyrrha had completely demolished Cardin and his entire team alone, and then the new guy, Mercury, a boy with silver hair and grey cloths with black leg guards that functioned like Yang's gauntlets, had been stupid enough to challenge her. However, after about three minutes of fighting her, he had quit. Through the entire class, however, and the reason for Fox to currently be worried, Blake had been asleep, and there were dark circles under her eyes.

"Hey, you okay?" Fox asked. "You seem like you haven't been sleeping."

"I'm fine," Blake said. "I just want to stop the White Fang."

"Well, that's going to take time, and for you to be rested," Fox said. "Let's take the weekend off. We can have Wulfe finally check in with his contacts and see what they've learned and then see if it's anything useful. And we can go to the dance."

"You're kidding, right?" Blake asked. "I don't have time for a stupid dance. I thought you of all people would get that."

She turned, walking away and Sun met her from the other direction, only for her to completely ignore him, except for an angry glare, as he tried to ask her to the dance as well. Beside Fox and the others, Yang sighed.

"Don't worry Fox," Yang said. "I'll get her there."

"Good luck," Fox sighed. "She's the most stubborn person I've met. I think she's even more stubborn than Leon."

"Where have your team been, anyway?" Weiss asked. "Why are you always with _ours_?"

"Wulfe's looking into the White Fang, Leon wants nothing to do to me, and Ava's been really antisocial since we got here-"

"Jealous," Yang corrected. "She clearly likes you."

"And besides that, I've been busy helping you guys deal with the White Fang and Torchwick," Fox said, ignoring Yang.

"Well, we don't need your help," Weiss said. "Go spend time with your own team. You're not a part of ours."

"Weiss," Ruby said.

"No, it's fine," Fox said. "She's right. Sorry for making it seem like I was intruding."

He turned, walking away and headed to his room. As he walked in, he found Ava sitting in her bed with her shoes off, exposing her bird feet. She looked up at him and blushed, quickly shoving her feet under the covers.

"You don't have to hide them from me, Ava," Fox sighed, sitting on his bed and rubbing his eyes. "I'm sorry. I haven't been...I've been an ass. I've been spending more time with them than you guys."

"It's alright," Ava smiled. "You've had good reason."

"But it's still not fair to you," Fox said before sighing again. "You especially. I'm sorry. I never-"

"Fox, it's alright," Ava smiled, standing and walking over, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I know you don't feel the same. And I'm not mad. I don't hold it against you. You can't help who you fall for."

Fox sighed, taking her hand. "If I could, it'd be you. You've always been there for me when I needed you. Whether I liked it or not."

"And I always will be," Ava smiled. "So, how're the others?"

"Leon's not talking to me still," Fox sighed. "Wulfe's still talking to his-"

"I meant Team RWBY," Ava smiled.

"Oh them," Fox said. "They're good. Mostly. Blake's trying to take on the White Fang alone, so she's running herself ragged. Weiss is still rejecting Jaune, who's too blind to see that it's Pyrrha he should be with. Yang's trying to help Blake. And Ruby's...well, Ruby."

Ava laughed. "Yeah, she's pretty unique."

Fox smiled as Leon walked in, stopping and glaring at him before dropping onto his bed.

"Nice to see you too," Fox said. "I sincerely hope you're willing to work together when we start our jobs on Monday."

"Stay away from me," Leon growled, rolling onto his side and facing away from Fox.

"Whatever," Fox sighed. "Sorry we're not the criminals you want us to be."

Just as Leon turned to yell, Wulfe stepped into the room, growling, Leon glaring at him before laying back down.

"Welcome back," Fox said. "So, what'd they say?"

"All of the dust they collect is going to Mountain Glenn," Wulfe said. "I don't know why, but apparently the orders are coming from Adam, not Khan."

"I don't like that," Fox said, staring at his hands. "I'm not sure I agree with Sienna's views, but she's a million times better than Adam. Send her a warning to be careful, and to keep an eye on Adam."

"You think he'd try something?" Wulfe asked. "He can't be that stupid."

"Leon, partnership with humans or destruction?" Fox asked.

"The less humans the better," Leon grunted.

"I don't think it would be as stupid for him to try something as we'd like," Fox said.

Wulfe nodded. "I'll send the message. Want me to use your alias or mine?"

"Mine," Fox said. "She's more likely to listen if it's me. Hey Leon, if the choice were yours, would you rather see Sienna or Adam lead?"

Leon rolled over and stared at him for a moment before rolling away again.

Fox sighed, shifting to lay on his bed and kicking his shoes off. "Oh well. Guess we'll have to wait and see."

* * *

Fox adjusted his tie in the mirror, only for Ava to slap his hand away, setting her hands on her hips.

"Do you want me to make you look halfway decent, or not?" Ava asked.

"Sorry," Fox said.

Ava sighed, reaching up and loosening his tie a little before going back to adjusting and de-fuzzing the rest of his suit. Finally, she nodded. "Okay, you can leave now. I have to get ready and Leon and Wulfe are probably there already. Don't bother waiting for me, either. I'll head over when I'm ready."

Fox nodded, grabbing his weapon on the way out and tucking it into his suit jacket's inside pocket before closing the door on his way out. He wasn't sure how she would hide her feet at the dance, but he knew she wasn't proud enough to let them show. He walked outside and headed toward the dance. He felt bad for not taking Ava, especially since she was going alone, but when he had asked, she had flat out refused to let him. So, he headed over alone as well. As he reached the walkway in front of the school, he spotted Blake, wearing a dark purple dress with the strap looping around the back of her neck and leaving her back exposed, aside from a see-through black netting thing on her shoulders and upper arms. The top of the dress reached low enough to show a little cleavage, and the bottom reached to her knees, with a slit on the right side to high on her thigh. She had on a pair of black heels, three-inch-wide black bands around her wrists, her black bow, a black choker, and had a black belt loosely around her waist.

He smiled. She looked beautiful. He opened his mouth to call out to her, but before he could, she walked over to Sun, who wore a black button-up shirt open halfway, a white necktie that hung loosely around his neck, though too tight for his liking, and his usual jeans and yellow shoes. Fox watched as Blake wrapped her arm around Sun's, Sun's smile practically making his face glow, and Blake actually smiling as well. Fox watched as they walked into the gymnasium and sighed, feeling himself deflating somewhat.

"I guess that settles it, then," Fox sighed. "Good for you, Blake. Probably the smarter choice."

Fox sighed, looking toward the school, and Ozpin's office at the top of it, and a feeling that he knew the office began to form. He had never been in there, but as he stared at the glass dome at the top of the tower, he saw an image of it in his mind. He turned, walking to the school, then up the side of it, opening the window at the top and dropping in, looking around. his mental image was perfectly correct, including the location of the one window that opened in the dome. He walked over to Ozpin's desk and sat down, spinning once before stopping as a keyboard appeared, and a screen asking for a password. He stared at it before closing his eyes and letting his mind wander. After a moment, he typed in the word, "Cycle," and the screen changed to show a roster of the school's students. He narrowed his eyes. He shouldn't know that password. He shouldn't know the office. He shouldn't know Ozpin. He began to scroll through the list, not really reading it but blinking as he reached the end. He scrolled back to the top, reading the names then stopping. No Ava. He scrolled down. No Fox. No Leon. No Wulfe. They weren't listed. He minimized the page, then pulled up the grades for all of his classmates and scanned through. Nothing. His team wasn't listed. He closed the grades page and went to the computer's main data access window, searching for his name. Nothing. Ava. Nothing. Wulfe. Leon. Nothing. He and his team weren't registered as a part of the school at all. No grades. No attendance. No proof that they even existed.

He returned to the roster and locked the computer again, leaving through the window. Just as he reached the ground, he saw someone running away from the gymnasium wearing black. He spotted Ruby leaving the gymnasium after the person, and both were heading toward the tower. He walked into the shadows, hiding himself, and watched as the first person, a woman with black hair over her left shoulder and a cat mask over her eyes, snuck into the building after quietly taking out the one guard. He stepped out, walking to the door and inside just as Ruby clumsily slowed to a stop beside him. He slipped his shoes off and slid them over to her and she switched her heels for them, smiling.

"They're a little big but better than those," Ruby said. "Thanks, but what about you?"

"I'll be fine," he said. "I went years without shoes."

Inside, they found four unconscious guards, one with a broken back from having been thrown into the railing of a short staircase. Fox looked to the elevator and growled, his ears standing up.

"She's in there," he growled, running over and extending his weapon's sword blade, driving it into the elevator and levering it open, jumping to the opposite wall. "Come on."

She jumped to him, Fox catching her and pulling her up onto his chest before running up the wall to the bottom of the elevator. Just as he heard the door close, he slashed a hole into the floor, jumping in before pulling Ruby up after him. Then, he forced the doors open and stepped out, Ruby beside him. The woman looked up at him from a computer facing the elevator and he spun his sword into a bow, sending an arrow through the computer, barely missing her, the arrow shattering against the ground.

She flipped, landing on her feet and smirked, swinging a small silver object, several ice crystals forming in front of her in the air before she swung her other arm, sending them flying at them. Ruby spun her scythe, blocking them as Fox switched back to his sword and sprinted forward. The woman's thigh-high stockings and bicep-length gloves all glowed a bright orange as she spun, flames appearing in the air around her. As she stopped, she was holding a pair of scimitar-like blades made of obsidian. Fox slashed at her and she deflected it, slashing at him, only for him to flip over it, slashing again. She blocked the slash and as he landed, she kicked at him. He spun around the kick, slamming his own into her and throwing her. She flipped, landing on top of a desk before leaping at him, spinning and slashing at him like a saw blade. He sidestepped it and slashed at her, her swords both meeting his and shoving it upward, only for his foot to crash into her chest, throwing her backward and making her shout in pain. She flipped and landed on her feet and one hand, glaring at him.

"Downside of having boobs bitch," Fox said. "They're a bit sensitive."

The woman flipped out of the way as Ruby slashed at her then crossed her swords as Fox's arrow crashed into them, shattering them but also dispersing. She flipped, more flames appearing and forming a new pair of swords before she sprinted forward, slashing at him rapidly, Fox blocking the strikes. Finally, he deflected a stab to the side and slashed upward at her. She flipped away but he split the front of her shirt open, making it hang loosely, though not enough to expose anything, since it was still tight.

"You pig!" she snarled.

"Actually, I think you'll find I'm rather foxy," Fox smirked, streaking forward and slashing at her, only for her to flip over it, kicking off his back.

He spun as she flipped, flames forming three obsidian arrows and a string for her swords, which had combined at the base of their hilts into a bow. She fired and Fox flipped out of the way, the arrows exploding into a fireball on the ground. Just then, the elevator door hissed open and Fox glanced back, seeing General Ironwood, the head of the Atlas military that was currently staying in the city, step out of it, pistol aimed at him and Ruby. Fox looked back toward the woman, but she was gone. He stood, sighing as he spun his weapon back into its compact form, putting it away.

"Well, there _was_ an intruder besides us," Fox said, folding his ears flat again. "We'll let you cuff us if you need to."

"No," Ironwood said. "Just...Go back to the dance. Tomorrow morning, you'll tell Ozpin, and myself what happened."

"Okay," Fox nodded, he and Ruby leaving the tower.

They headed back toward the gymnasium, Ruby giving Fox back his shoes on the way, but Fox stopped outside, remembering why he hadn't gone in the first place.

"Is everything alright?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah," Fox said. "You go on ahead. I just...need to rest a little after the fight."

"Were you hurt?" Ruby asked, worriedly.

"No, no, I'm fine," Fox said. "I'm just...look, I just need some time to think, alright?"

Ruby nodded silently and turned, heading into the dance as Fox turned, walking around the building a ways. Finally, he found a balcony that led inside, only Ava being on it. He jumped, easily clearing the railing and landed beside her, Ava looking over at him in surprise. She wore a dress a lot like Blake's, except white with no covering for her shoulders and back and with thigh-high white stocking and knee-high boots to hide her feet.

"Hey," she said. "You're late. Where were you?"

"Someone broke into Beacon Tower," Fox said. "Me and Ruby were trying to deal with them. She got away, though."

Ava nodded. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," Fox nodded. "How's my suit?"

He turned, allowing her to inspect him. She brushed off some dirt from the explosion at the end of the fight, but otherwise cleared him.

"Did you recognize her?" Ava asked.

"No," Fox said. "But she fought with a set of swords that she made out of thin air. Then remade when I broke the first set."

"That's...a really unique ability," Ava said. "Semblance?"

"Maybe," Fox said, looking toward the dance. "Not dancing with Wulfe?"

"Wulfe's embarrassing himself enough as it is," Ava said. "He doesn't need a klutz with bird feet tripping over herself alongside him."

Fox smiled, giving Ava a hug. "You don't need to be ashamed of your feet, Ava."

Ava hugged him back before pulling away. "You should go dance with Blake. Save her from Sun."

Fox smiled, nodding and walked inside, finding himself on a raised section with stairs wrapping along the wall. He stopped just back from the railing where he could hide and looked at the dancers. He could see Neptune, whose dancing was arguably as bad as Wulfe's, dancing beside Weiss. He could see Yang in a white dress watching everyone dance. Jaune, wearing a low-cut white dress and a pair of sneakers was dancing with Pyrrha, who had on a lovely red dress. Ren and Nora were dancing together, Fox secretly hoping they had finally figured out that they were together so that their sort-of-but-not-really routine would stop annoying him. And then there was Blake. Just as he spotted her and Sun, Blake laughed, smiling at Sun, who was dancing almost as bad as Neptune in order to get Blake to smile. Fox's smile dropped off of his face instantly and he felt his shoulder sag a little. He sighed, turning and walking back out onto the balcony, climbing up to sit on the railing.

"Are you okay?" Ava asked.

"Would you let me think you believe it if I said yes?" Fox asked.

"For tonight, yes," Ava nodded.

"Then yes," Fox said. "I'm great."

Ava nodded and remained silent for a while, slipping her hand into his and squeezing lightly, Fox sighing. Ava took her hand back and hugged him, then leaned on the railing beside him in silence.

* * *

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	8. Chapter 8

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Answers

Fox walked into Ozpin's office with Ruby, finding Glynda, Ozpin, and Ironwood waiting. They stopped in front of the desk and Fox stared at Ozpin, eyes narrowed and arms crossed.

"Thank you for coming," Ozpin said. "How are you feeling?"

Fox didn't answer.

"Okay, I guess," Ruby said. "I'd feel better if my bad guy catching record wasn't 'O' for three."

The three adults stared at her before Ozpin turned his attention to Fox, whose glare had yet to so much as waver.

"Ruby I just want you to know that I think what you did last night is exactly what being a Huntress is all about," Ironwood said, walking forward and resting a hand on her shoulder. "You recognized a threat, you took action, and you did the best you could." He turned to Fox. "You t-"

"Touch me and I take that prosthetic arm of yours off and shove it up your ass," Fox growled, eyes still not leaving Ozpin.

"Excuse me!?" Ironwood demanded.

"Mr. Winters!" Glynda gasped.

"It's fine," Ozpin said, both staring at him. "Is there something you'd like to say, Fox?"

"You lied," Fox snarled. "Not just to me, to my friends."

"What are you talking about?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, what are you talking about?" Glynda asked.

"I checked the school records," Fox growled, ears standing up and angling forward. "You lied."

"We'll discuss that later," Ozpin said. "First, I need to know what you can tell me about-"

"My height, white, black hair over her left shoulder, arms glowed whenever she attacked, and no Ironwood, it wasn't Dust," Fox said, Ironwood, who had been about to speak, closed his mouth. "I can smell that. She generated flames and used them to form obsidian swords and arrows, and she was able to turn small chunks of glass into pointed projectiles that she then hurled at us without touching them. I thought they were ice at first, but after the fight I checked what they left behind and they were definitely glass."

"Save for the glass, that sounds like the woman I fought the night we met Ruby," Glynda said.

"Wait, you think this girl's connected to Torchwick and the White Fang?" Ruby asked.

"It's possible," Ozpin said. "However, we lack the required evidence to link the two together."

"She was talking on a communicator when we arrived and mentioned a base in the south east," Fox said. "Now can we discuss your lies?"

Ozpin stared at him for a moment before sighing. "Thank you, Ruby. That will be all."

Ruby nodded and left, taking the elevator back down. The moment she was gone, Fox growled loudly.

"Why the hell are me an my team not a part of this school!?" Fox snarled. "What happened to your grand offer? What happened to us always having a place at Beacon?"

"What's he talking about?" Glynda asked. "What does he mean they're not a part of the school? He's in class every day. He's one of my top students."

"Oh you didn't know?" Fox asked. "Yeah, turns out me and my entire team aren't on the school roster. Or anywhere else, for that matter. There's no record of us anywhere in the school database. For all intents and purposes, me and my team were never actually a part of the class."

Everyone looked to Ozpin, who sighed. "What do you want me to tell you? You saw the records."

"I want you to tell me the truth!" Fox shouted.

"But there are many truths," Ozpin said. "Which would you like to hear?"

"All of it!" Fox snapped. "Just tell me what you're hiding! And how do I know you?"

Ozpin stared at him before sighing. "Very well. But you'll have to bear with me. The tale is a bit of a long one, and a bit farfetched."

"Oz, you can't really mean to tell him _that_ , can you?" Glynda asked. "He's not ready."

"The last time I told him when we believed he was ready, he turned against us," Ozpin said. "Alright Fox. Here's the truth. You and I are childhood friends."

"That's physically impossible," Fox growled. "I'm a teenager. You're an adult."

"Oh I'm much older than an adult," Ozpin said. "And as for you, you both are the age you seem, and yet you're much older."

"What the hell does that mean?" Fox growled.

"I am very, very old," Ozpin said. "Centuries."

"Then it's even more impossible for me to be your childhood friend," Fox growled.

"But you are," Ozpin said. "Each time I die, I reincarnate into a like-minded individual, and then over time, that person and myself combine. I'm the same, yet slightly different each time. And you and I have known each other as every one of my reincarnations, except for one."

"Again, that's physically impossible," Fox growled.

"But it's not," Ozpin said. "Magic exists. Real magic. Your semblance borders on it. You can conduct pure energy, any kind of it, into a beam. You use it to augment your strength, your durability, your Aura. You use it to defy gravity, and to fall large distances and land without harm. You use it to harden and sharpen your sword, and to form a string and arrow for your bow. In the past, I've seen you hurl blasts of it from your hands, and I've seen you wear it like a suit of armor, further augmenting your abilities. However, there is one ability of your semblance that even you are unaware of."

"And what's that?" Fox asked, crossing his arms.

"Each time you are killed, or that you die of old age, or sickness, your semblance transforms you into pure energy," Ozpin said. "Energy cannot be destroyed. It merely changes forms. In the past, you've been a red-head, a brunette, human, faunus, even female once. But each time you die, you are transformed into energy, and then reborn. Not literally, of course. You reform into a complete body somewhere in the world, sometimes as an infant, sometimes as a toddler. But every time, you grow up believing you are an orphan. You believe that your parents either dies or abandoned you, and you grow up taking care of yourself. Each time, your memories are almost totally erased. You remember some things, like the fact that you use a weapon that goes from a sword to a bow with no string, and how to work your semblance. You have, shall we say, the ghost of memories of people, which is why you feel like you know me, and why you feel bored with so many things, because you've done it all. Several times. The first time I met you, you were already in the grips of your cycle, and you believed you were abandoned. We grew up as friends. But then you were killed. The next time we met, we were enemies. You believed that I was the cause of your parents deaths, and it was your goal in life to kill me. In another instance, you believed me to be your biological brother."

"Why should I believe you?" Fox growled. "None of this is possible."

"You knew the password to my computer, did you not?" Ozpin asked.

"Lucky guess," Fox growled.

"Not so," Ozpin said. "You chose the password after the last time I told you of your past."

Fox glared at him. "Let's say, for a moment, that I believe you. Why would you hide it from me?"

"Because of the next thing you'll realize when you think about what I've told you," Ozpin said.

Fox stared at him in confusion before a thought occurred to him. If he was reborn and lost his memories, he wouldn't remember Wulfe, Leon, Ava, Blake, or any of his other friends.

"My friends," Fox said. "When I regenerate, I forget the people that matter to me."

"That's right," Ozpin nodded.

"So then, nothing I do in this life matters," Fox said. "If I die defending someone and succeed, it won't matter because whenever I regenerate I wouldn't even know who they are."

"That's not entirely true," Ozpin said. "It _would_ matter, because they _would_ be alive. You just wouldn't _know_ it mattered."

"But none of the bonds I make will matter to me," Fox said. "So why bother making them at all? Why shouldn't I just spend my days destroying everything?"

"Because you are a good man, Fox," Ozpin said. "And when anyone else dies, they don't regenerate, but those bonds you're so concerned with are broken just as surely for them as for you. You just get the chance to make new ones."

Fox stared at the ground. "I want proof."

"Very well," Ozpin nodded, opening a panel on the underside of his desk and pulling out a small gold semicircle about an inch and a half thick with green near the middle and a round handle with a similar color scheme sideways connecting the ends of the semicircle.

Ozpin tossed it to Fox, who caught it, finding an "FW" carved into the side of the semicircle. He pressed a button on the side of the handle and instantly a piece of white metal swung outward from the opening on the outside of the semicircle. Then, more and more segments began to swing into view from inside the last, each one thickening after reaching its place, becoming the same size as the one before it. When it was finished, the segments were curved backward toward him slightly, for three segments, then the last two, the last one being only half the length of the others, curved forward. Each segment, barring the two on the ends, were about six inches, and sharpened on the side facing him. They also were completely solid and immobile, despite having sections cut out fro the next one, and folding in half. He stared at the weapon. On the inside of the end curve at both ends, there was a small green crystal, but when he felt it, it wasn't dust. He focused his semblance through the bow and the crystals lit up, a green string and arrow forming, Fox pulling the string back and feeling the bow bend with the barest hint of resistance. He let the slack back out and let the arrow and sting fade, then pushed another button, the arms of the bow swinging forward and connecting in the middle forming a long blade with seams where the segments met, before the semicircle guard turned clockwise until the grip was in the center of it. He spun the weapon. It felt lighter than his own weapon, and felt more natural.

"Do you recognize it?" Ozpin asked.

"It was...my father's," Fox said.

"That _is_ what you usually believe, yes," Ozpin said. "That it was your fathers, and that his initials coincidentally match your own. But in truth, this weapon has been yours for as long as I've known you. Each time you've regenerated it, I've collected it for you, to give you later on. The crystals are pure emerald, a rare stone that you can't often find nowadays. It amplifies and focuses your semblance."

Fox slowly lowered the weapon, pressing the button to make it collapse and it folded back up. "Everything you've told me...it's all true, isn't it?"

"It is," Ozpin nodded.

"Why aren't me and my team a part of the school?" Fox asked.

"For your own protection," Ozpin said. "If your names appeared in the records as a part of the school, the White Fang would know you deserted, if they don't already, and would come after you."

"You're lying," Fox said.

Ozpin stared at him before sighing. "Because I need you to be able to do tasks and missions for me that must remain off the record. The easiest way to accomplish this, is to keep the four of you off the record."

Fox sighed, nodding. "So I'm your dirty little secret, then. I do the stuff you don't want anyone to know about. And in return, you pretend that I'm a part of the school and hop I don't find out."

"You are a precious member of this school," Ozpin said. "Not having your name on a list doesn't change that. You attend the classes, don't you?"

"Yes," Fox said.

"You have friends here, do you not?" Ozpin asked.

"I do," Fox nodded.

"Then why should a list change whether or not you are a part of this school?" Ozpin asked.

"I...It shouldn't," Fox said. "I'm...sorry that I..."

"It's alright," Ozpin said. "I knew you would come asking questions soon."

Fox held out the weapon Ozpin had given him, but Ozpin shook his head.

"It belongs to you," Fox said. "Keep it."

Fox nodded and left the office, slipping his handle into his cargo pocket. He walked to his room and found the others all waiting.

"How'd it go?" Wulfe asked.

"What's wrong?" Ava asked.

"It...it's nothing," Fox said. "Come on. We have to go sign up for a job."

He turned, walking away from the room and the others followed, all heading for the auditorium.

* * *

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	9. Chapter 9

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Special Assignment

Fox walked out of the school, eye twitching irritably. His team was on a "special assignment" from Ozpin, meaning they'd be getting no credit and they couldn't tell anyone. He spotted Team RWBY walking away from the school as well and headed in that direction to wish them luck. The others followed him quietly, all of them just as displeased with their job as Fox.

"Hey, there you are," Ruby said. "What happened with Professor Ozpin? Did you find out whatever you needed?"

"And then some," Fox said. "A lot more than I actually wanted to know."

"Well...at least you got him to tell you the truth, right?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah," Fox said.

"Hey, Team CFVY is back!" someone shouted, pronouncing the team name like coffee.

Ruby, Yang, Weiss, and Fox's own team went to check on them, both teams being friends with Velvet, a rabbit faunus in the team who was extremely kind and always bullied by Cardin, even though she could beat him like a drum if she wanted.

"So, what happened last night?" Blake asked as they walked toward the others.

"What do you mean?" Fox asked.

"You never asked me to dance," Blake said. "I was waiting for you to."

"Oh," Fox said. "That. Right. Sorry. I just...had some things to deal with."

"I mean after you fought the intruder," Blake said. "Ruby came back to the dance. Where were you?"

"I needed to take care of something after," Fox said. "Sorry."

"I don't want you to apologize!" Blake snapped, turning him toward her. "I want you to stop shutting everyone out! I want you to act like yourself again! What happened that's so bad that you're acting like me?"

"I just...need some time to think," Fox said, turning back toward the others. "I got some...news. It's a bit...hard to digest."

"Then talk to me," Blake said. "Let me help. Or Wulfe. Or Ava. Someone. Don't try to handle everything alone. You're better than that. You're better than me."

"I...I'm not so sure," Fox said. "I'm not sure I know who I am anymore."

Blake stared at him and he walked away, stopping next to the others. Ava looked to him worriedly but he simply stared blankly straight ahead.

"Ready?" he asked after a moment.

"Yeah," Wulfe nodded. "Let's get this over with."

"Where are you going?" Ruby asked.

"We're on a special assignment," Leon said. "Directly from Ozpin."

"That sounds important," Yang said.

"That sounds suspicious," Weiss said.

"And dangerous," Blake said. "Are you going to be okay?"

"We'll be fine," Fox said. "We need to go."

He walked away, the others saying goodbye before following. As they did, Wulfe stepped up beside Fox.

"What'd he say to you, man?" Wulfe asked. "You're acting like you just watched everyone you love die."

"Yeah," Fox said. "I just...want to get this done with so I'll have time to think."

Wulfe stared at him before sighing.

* * *

Fox pulled his mask on and stared at his reflection. He hadn't thought he'd wear the uniform again. He had never wanted to. He stared at his tail He hadn't wanted to see that again either. He wasn't much more proud of his faunus identity than Ava. He turned, walking out into the back alley, finding the others waiting. They walked through the back alleys and side streets until they reached the warehouse where they had always had their base of operations. He opened the door and several White Fang members turned toward them.

"We're back," Fox said. "Tons of juicy information for our trouble too."

"Hello Fox," one of them said, picking up a scimitar. "There's a price on your head, now."

"Drop the sword or we'll see how much _your_ head's worth," Fox growled. "You know I'm better than you."

The member stared at him before setting the sword back down. Fox walked to a holographic communicator in the back and dialed. A few minutes later, a hologram of a man with a black coat with a red rose on the back between his shoulder blades and red on the left shoulder with a small white flame on the shoulder and the back, behind the rose, holding a much larger and more intricate white flower, black pants, black gloves with red marking on the backs, a white half mask, red hair spiked backward, a red shirt under his jacket, and a pair of black horns sticking up at the front of his hair.

"Well well," Adam said. "You've got some balls calling me. You know I now know exactly where you are, right?"

"I do," Fox nodded.

"And you've gone and put on the old uniform," Adam said. "I'm surprised you were able to fit with that high horse of yours. So, to what do I owe the displeasure?"

"We've got some information you may be interested in," Fox said. "After all, you _do_ plan to destroy Beacon, don't you?"

"I do," Adam nodded. "What kind of information could you have? You were a warrior. Not a spy."

"I've been a lot of things in my life, it seems," Fox said. "Apparently, one of them is a traitor."

"You're just now figuring that out?" Adam snorted. "So, what've you got to tell me?"

"How about the exact names of everyone currently enrolled at Beacon?" Fox asked.

* * *

Fox sighed as he sat against the wall. Everything was wrong. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He wasn't supposed to be reporting anything to the White Fang. And he certainly wasn't supposed to be giving them such important information. He didn't understand. Why was he doing this? Did Ozpin just need a scapegoat? That was what it felt like. Or maybe he had some plan that involved destroying Beacon.

"Are we sure this is what we want?" Ava asked. "Should we really be giving them all of this?"

"Yeah, maybe Ozpin's just testing us," Wulfe said.

"Or maybe Ozpin's not the man we thought," Fox said. "It doesn't matter. What's done is done. There's no going back."

"We could, though," Ava said. "We could easily just stop. We know that the plan involves the tournament. And that it involves Atlas's machines. We have enough. We could stop here. We don't need to tell him the rest."

Fox stared at the ground. She was right, as usual. They _didn't_ need to continue. And yet, at the same time, Fox did. Some part of him _needed_ to do this. Some part of him _wanted_ to. And that was what scared him. Some part of him needed so desperately to believe that Ozpin hadn't lied that he was willing to do all of this to continue believing.

"Fox?" Ava asked.

"We don't have a choice," Fox said. "We've gone too far already to stop now."

"But they're our _friends_ , Fox," Wulfe said.

"Why does this surprise you?" Leon asked. "Fox willingly betrayed the White Fang to join that school, then found out we were never really a part of it. You really think he'd hesitate any more that before to betray the school? At least we were actually a part of the White Fang."

"Fox isn't like that!" Ava snapped, glaring at Leon. "Fox isn't a traitor!"

"Oh really?" Leon asked. "So then giving the White Fang all of this secret information is...what? Anything other than treason?"

"It's an order," Fox said, standing and staring up at the school. "Come on. It's time to call again."

* * *

"Well well, the traitor's back," Adam smirked as his hologram appeared. "So, what juicy secrets have you got for me today?"

"I...I can tell you the semblance of the most dangerous students, and I can give you the password for the computer's main computer," Fox said.

"Oh really?" Adam asked. "Alright. Let's hear it."

Fox nodded, beginning to speak. Before he had gotten more than three words out, however, the ground shook violently and a siren began to wail. Fox looked around.

"There's a breach," Fox said. "We've got to go."

"What?" Adam asked. "But that's not for days. Torchwick. If you see that asshole, kill him."

"Of course," Fox nodded, shutting off the hologram. "Let's go."

He sprinted out of the warehouse with the others, running toward the massive pillar of smoke.

"Are we really going to give him all of that?" Ava asked. "That would be a death sentence for everyone the White Fang fights when they invade."

Fox remained silent as he ran. Finally, they reached a city square where Team RWBY was surrounded by dozens of grimm. Off to one side, a train had burst up through the ground and more grimm were coming through the hole. Fox drew his weapon, spinning it into a sword and sprinting forward. At the same time as he reached the grimm, Team RWBY began to fight. Fox slashed his way through a half dozen grimm before spinning and slashing a circle of them. As he did, a beowolf leapt at him from behind, only for Wulfe to crash down on its back. Wulfe took off from there, shredding his way through the grimm with his claws. Then, as he stopped to look around, a pair of Ursa Minors stood on either side and roared.

Instantly, Leon landed behind Wulfe, slashing the two grimm with his massive sword, splitting both in half. Then, he sprinted forward, tearing into the grimm as well. He passed Fox just as Fox flipped over an Ursa Major and spit it up the front. As Fox landed, a dozen beowolves leapt at him. He smirked, leaning on his sword as they neared him. Then, a pair of chakrams spun over his head, splitting and killing them all before returning to Ava. She placed them together, spinning them and making them combine before they transformed into a long, razor-sharp whip. She flicked it out, the whip slashing through a beowulf completely before several leapt at her. She spun, the whip following in a circle after her and splitting them all. Then, she spun it again, forming it into a staff with a blade on each end. She began to spin the staff, shredding the grimm around her rapidly, easily working her way through them. As she stopped, she drove the staff down into a beowolf's head, stopping beside Fox.

Suddenly, Nora crashed down on the one King Taijitsu's black head, flattening it into the ground. A moment later, Ren and Pyrrha were tearing into the grimm as well. As Jaune arrived, an Ursa moved to kill him, only for him to release a battle cry, squeeze his eyes closed, and hack at it until it keeled over backward. Fox laughed. He'd improved, but he still had a way to go. A pair of beowolves leapt at him and Ava from behind and he smirked, Blake flipping over a line of grimm off to the side and killing both, landing behind them.

"You took your time," Blake said.

"You had it covered," Fox said.

Just then, an airship rose into view, its main gun opening fire and mowing down grimm who were trying to leave the scene of the battle. At the same time, humanoid robots armed with machine guns dropped, beginning to fight the grimm back as well. Then, Team CFVY was there, all four tearing into the grimm, Velvet without even using her weapon, whatever it was. All Fox had ever seen her carrying was a lunchbox.

Fox kicked his sword blade off of the ground, using the momentum to lift it up in time to block an Ursa's claws, Ava's staff instantly splitting the Ursa before she swung the staff, the blade on that end shooting out on a chain and stabbing into another Ursa. She spun, swinging the staff and ripping the staff's blade back to her, the blade returning to its place before she spun the weapon into a scythe, streaking forward into the grimm with it.

"What the hell kind of weapon is that?" Blake asked as she and Fox fought back to back, slaughtering grimm.

"It's basically any melee weapon she can imagine," Fox said. "Not sure how it works exactly. I've seen it so small it couldn't possibly turn into anything bigger than a pistol, and so large she shouldn't be able to hold it. I'm not complaining though, she's a master of each weapon she's turned it into."

"Impressive," Blake said, flipping over Fox and allowing him to kill a beowolf that tried to follow while she crashed down on the head of one about to reach him then stabbing it. "There's a lot of grimm here."

"True," Fox nodded. "But I'd rather this than an army of that robot."

Blake laughed. "So would I."

Just then, bullets began to tear past them, Fox grabbing Blake and throwing them both to the ground as they bullets shredded the grim around them. As they pushed themselves up, Fox glared at one of the members of Team CFVY, a girl who had most of her hair hidden by her black beret and a massive black and gold minigun in her hands.

"What's the big idea!?" Fox demanded.

"Sorry!" she said. "I didn't see you there!"

"Be more careful!" Fox shouted. "That thing would have killed us!"

"Fox, watch out!" Ruby shouted.

Fox spun, slashing a Deathstalker's stinger to the side before darting forward and slashing downward across its face, killing it instantly. A moment later, Glynda walked past, swinging her whip and using her semblance to send a pair of grimm flying before she pointed it at the broken section of road, repairing the damage instantly. Fox turned back to the grimm and sprinted forward, Blake at his side. They, along with the rest of the hunters and huntresses in training, mopped up the rest of the grimm within a couple of minutes, now that the hole that they were coming from was closed.

Fox flipped over the last grimm, driving his sword down into its head and slamming it to the ground. As it began to fade, he looked up at the others, seeing they had all gathered in the center of the square, besides his team who was off to the right, and Glynda, Professor Oobleck, and Professor Port, who were off to the left. As Fox put his weapon away, Glynda walked over.

"Why did he give me that job?" Fox asked. "Why did he make me sell out my friends to the White Fang?"

"The information we gave you, the rosters and things that you gave the White Fang, it was all fake," Glynda said, holding out a PDA that was scrolling through a roster, the names of him and his team all highlighted. "The one you hacked into the school's database and found was fake. You were never hidden from the school's database. Ozpin explained it after you left for your mission. You were made to think that you were because he wanted the White Fang to think they had the upper hand and knew everything. In reality, none of what you told them is true."

"Really?" Fox asked. "Why not tell me that?"

"Because you needed to believe it was true," Glynda said.

"So, did he lie about my semblance?" Fox asked.

"No," Glynda said. "That was all true. You and I have met once before. You were an enemy last time. You tried to kill myself and Ozpin. And Ozpin was the one to kill you and make you regenerate."

"I see," Fox nodded. "That explains why he had my weapon."

Glynda nodded. "So what will you do? Push your friends away?"

"No," Fox said. "After this mission, no. I'd rather die."

"Good," Glynda nodded. "Now you and your friends should ditch those uniforms before Ironwood's soldiers arrive."

Fox nodded and turned to his friends, gesturing for them to follow. They did as instructed and about twenty minutes later, they had reached the empty water silo where they used to live, and where they had left their normal clothes. The guys changed quickly, then waited outside for Ava. Once she had changed, she stepped out and they all turned to Fox.

"So what now?" Leon asked. "Are we betraying the White Fang _again_ and returning to the school we're not a part of?"

"We _are_ a part of it," Fox said. "He just needed us to feed the White Fang false information. And Leon, this is the last time I'll say it. We are _not_ a part of the White Fang anymore. Get that through your head. I don't care if you respect my decision to leave or not, but I'm getting tired of your shit. Either decide to stay with the team, or join back up with the White Fang. I am going to choose to stay with my friends in the school, and I want the three of you to come with me. We've been friends for as long as I've known you. But if you can't choose me over the White Fang, that's fine. But you need to make up your mind right now."

Leon glared at him before sighing and nodding. "Alright. Fine. Let's just head back to the school so we can sleep."

Fox nodded, smiling, and they turned, heading back to the square, then from there to the school.

* * *

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	10. Chapter 10

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Round One

Fox hated his luck. Round one of the tournament and he couldn't imagine a worse matchup. On one side of the arena, the random terrain selection system had decided to make it a desert. One the other, an arctic ocean. It had essentially become a beach where you either froze on one side or baked on the other. And now, Fox found himself and his team scrambling over glaciers to fight a team of staff-wielders. Fox's current opponent, a ginger boy with bright blue eyes and red and orange clothes, was particularly annoying, since his weapon could be used as a bladed staff and an assault rifle at the same time.

Fox flipped to the side as a stream of bullets flashed past him, lunging and blocking the other end of the staff with his sword. He caught the front again as the guy tried to swing back the other way, then, Fox spun, hurling his opponent. His opponent drove his staff into the iceberg, skidding to a stop. Fox spun his weapon into a bow, drawing and firing instantly, only for his opponent to flip over it, grinning.

"Thank you," Fox grinned.

His opponent's eyes widened as he turned, watching the arrow explode against the glacier beside Ava's opponent. Ava, being lighter than the others, was having trouble standing on her own feet. So, Fox had decided to give her a hand. Her opponent, a guy with bright green hair and his staff broken down into a pair of nunchucks, flipped into the air before crashing back down, standing and glaring at Fox. Fox winked at him and flipped over his own opponent's staff, spinning and slamming a kick into his opponent's head, sending him skidding across the ice, his staff tearing along it in an attempt to slow him. Fox turned, pushing off and skating to the edge of the ice before leaping off of the side, landing on the metal center before rolling, standing in the sand. A moment later, Ava landed beside him, her briefcase in her hand. She sighed, stomping her feet a couple times to make sure she wouldn't slip. After a moment, Fox and Ava's opponents landed in front of them.

"Yeah," Fox said. "Following us here was a mistake."

Ava raised her briefcase, Fox stepping backward, and a moment later the briefcase had expanded into a a pair of silver gauntlets with a piston on either side of her fist, then a metal plate shaped like the front of a fist in front of her fists. Fox smirked, leaning on his swords.

"Sick 'em," Fox smiled.

Ava darted forward, slamming a fist into her opponent's abdomen, the pistons kicking outward and launching her opponent backward. He smashed through the corner of a glacier, shattering it before flipping into the barrier around the outside of the arena, being beaten by ring out. Fox's own opponent shouted in surprise, swinging at Ava, only for her to duck under it, then slam her other hand into his abdomen as well. He also went flying and was eliminated by ring out. Fox smiled, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Well done," Fox smiled. "I knew you could do it."

"Well I didn't train with you and Wulfe for that long for nothing," Ava said.

"Train _with_ us?" Fox snorted. "You mean you _trained us_."

Ava smiled. "That too."

Fox watched as Wulfe leapt into the air suddenly, his opponent leaping at him with his staff, currently with an axe blade of ice stuck to the side of his staff. Wulfe grinned as hid opponent swung at him, Wulfe driving his claws into the blade and flipping over it. Then, he flipped, slamming his hands together. A moment later, his claws' laser sent his opponent crashing down in the center, his Aura depleted, eliminating him from the tournament. Then, Leon crashed down on his feet and one band beside him, growling in rage. In the air above them, Leon's opponent, a man built like the White Fang Lieutenant from the warehouse speech, fell toward him, his staff pulled back to attack. Leon snorted, spinning his massive, blocky sword that had a flat, sharpened tip, and making the tip split in half, a barrel extending before he held the pommel, a semicircle of metal curving away from the blade, against his shoulder, the top of the sword's current lower finger guard popping up, the end of the other finger guard having a small circle on it as a sight. Then, he raised the weapon and squeezed, a massive report sounding as his anti-material rifle bullet crashed into his opponent's chest, depleting his aura instantly and hurling him into the barrier.

"Nice," Fox said, Leon glancing at him.

"Thanks," Leon said after a tense moment. "He was too fast for my sword, so I figured I'd try my rifle."

"I hope he's not hurt too bad," Fox said as the desert and ocean dropped away, the normal floor returning. "Come on. Let's get some food."

They walked out of the arena, heading to a noodle stand a ways away. As they arrived, Fox had to cover his mouth, seeing Blake literally drooling over a bowl of noodles topped with a half a dozen fresh tuna. However, before she could eat it, Weiss's card was declined and the shop's owner reached out to take it back.

"It's alright, sir, I'll pay for her," Fox said, sitting down beside her.

Blake turned to him, expression somewhere between the same as she had given the fish, a look of adoration, and a look of appreciation. He smiled as he handed over the money, also getting himself a massive bowl of pasta. The others sat with him and he payed for theirs as well. Just then, Team JNPR arrived.

"Maybe I can help the rest of you," Pyrrha said.

"Pyrrha!" Ruby cheered.

"Aw, you don't have to," Yang said.

"I think you all earned it after that fight," Pyrrha said. "You guys did awesome too."

"Thanks," Ava smiled.

"Yeah, seriously, your weapon is awesome!" Yang smiled.

"Thanks," Ava smiled.

"Speaking of fights," Fox said. "Hey Pyrrha, do you happen to have a recording of any of the other fights?"

"No," Pyrrha said.

"I do," Nora said. "Here."

She tossed him her scroll. Fox caught it, pulling it apart and watching the screen.

"Are you looking for someone in particular?" Jaune asked as his team got the same bowl of noodles that Fox's team and Ruby's team had gotten.

"Me and Ruby's _friend_ from the CCT tower," Fox said, skipping through the fight he was watching to the next, then the next.

Finally, he stopped, staring. Blake leaned over, watching over his shoulder.

"Oh, that's Emerald's team," Blake said.

Fox paused it as one of Emerald's teammates stepped into it, slamming a kick into one of their opponents.

"Ruby," Fox said. "Come here."

Ruby walked over and looked over his shoulder.

"Who is that?" Fox asked.

"He name's Cinder," Ruby asked.

The girl on the screen had an open tan vest, dark grey pants, and bandages around her waist and chest under thee vest. She also had fingerless black gloves, and her black hair swept over her left shoulder. Fox pressed the edit button on the video and drew on a rough mask on Cinder's upper face and a black shirt.

"Look familiar?" Fox asked.

"No way," Ruby breathed. "Cinder? No! It can't be! It's got to be a coincidence."

"We'll see," Fox said. "I'll just have to fight her."

"Good luck," Yang said. "It was Emerald and Mercury that got chosen to continue."

"I never said I'd fight her in the arena," Fox said. "No rules, no prying eyes. At least, until the fight's underway."

"That's a bad idea," Blake said.

"It's fine," Fox said. "I can handle her."

"At least don't fight her alone," Blake said, worriedly. "Especially if you're right."

"I'll fight with him," Ava said.

"No," Fox said. "I'm facing her alone. I'll do it while Team JNPR is fighting."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Pyrrha asked.

"No," Fox said. "But it's the best idea we have."

"Be careful," Pyrrha said. "We'll help you after our fight if you need it and are still fighting."

"I shouldn't be," Fox said. "But thanks. You guys ready for _your_ fight?"

"Of course!" Nora said. "We've got a world-renown fighter on our team, one of us that's basically a ninja, I can bench five of me, and Jaune...We've been preparing all year, our weapons are awesome, Glynda barely yells at us anymore, and uh...Jaune!"

"Are you going to take that?" Ren asked.

"She's not wrong," Jaune said miserably, head down.

"I'm kidding," Nora said. "He knows I'm kidding."

"What's with you?" Fox asked.

"I think I might throw up," Jaune groaned.

"Oo, aim it at the enemy!" Nora said.

"That's disgusting," Ren said. "But if you feel the urge..."

"Got it," Jaune said.

"Don't be so nervous," Nora said. "The worst that could happen is we lose. Then it's just a few more years of walking around the school with everyone knowing we're failures. Our friends will slowly abandon us to preserve their social status. We won't be able to show our faces in class. No one will sit with us at the cafeteria. Ren and I have no parents so we have no home left to go to. We'll be officially renamed Team _LOSE_ -iper!" She began to make something between a laugh and a dramatic sob, everyone sighing as Nora slammed her head down, keeping it there.

"So, yeah," Ren said. "We're feeling pretty good."

"Don't fret," Pyrrha said, resting a hand on Nora and Jaune's shoulders. "If anything we should be looking forward to a fight with actual guidelines, and not...well, murderers."

"Yeah, don't sweat it," Yang agreed. "We've all faced way worse before."

"Let's see," Blake said, holding up a hand to count on her fingers. "Grimm invasions, violent extremists, a destructive sociopath."

"And that's all while we were still in training!" Ruby said. "Oh, imagine what it'll be like when we graduate!"

"Maybe _then_ I'll be able to pay for a meal," Weiss said.

"Would Team JNPR please report to the battlegrounds immediately," Professor Port, one of the two announcers, said over the intercom.

"Yes," Professor Oobleck, the other announcer, agreed. "Like they were scheduled to several minutes ago."

"Well," Pyrrha said. "Looks like this is it."

"Hey Nora," Fox said, Nora looking up at him. "If all else fails, just pretend one of them asked Ren out on a date before you could."

"It's not like that!" Nora and Ren both said.

Several of the others laughed as they turned, following Jaune and Pyrrha toward the arena. Fox sighed, pushing himself up.

"I suppose I should go too," Fox said.

"You sure you don't want us coming with you?" Blake asked.

"I'm sure," Fox said.

He walked away, walking around the fairground first, the others all heading to the arena. After a few minutes, his scroll buzzed. He opened it, seeing a message from Wulfe. He opened it, seeing a short video of Cinder in the stands. He watched, seeing her holding a popcorn kernel. Then, as he watched, the kernel popped. He blinked, backing the video up and zooming in on it. This time, he could see her fingertips glowing gold, barely. He growled, putting his scroll away and walking to the arena. Inside the arena, Jaune's team was struggling against their opponents, the match seeming fairly even. Fox looked around, seeing Emerald and Mercury, who Cinder had been standing behind, then spotting the bitch herself. He walked around behind them, then down the stairs to stop behind Cinder, resting a hand on her shoulder and leaning forward.

"You look much better without a mask on," he whispered, Cinder tensing instantly under his hand. "Perhaps we should talk somewhere a bit more...private, wouldn't you agree?"

Cinder nodded and stood, gesturing for Mercury and Emerald to remain where they were. Then, she walked away, Fox following. They walked to a maintenance door and then through it, following the hallway a ways before stopping.

"So, you actually _did_ recognize me," Cinder said. "Impressive. How'd you know?"

"You didn't change your hair, and your eyes are a pretty unique gold color," Fox said.

"I see," Cinder nodded, swinging her arms and forming her swords. "Impressive. Of course, you _do_ realize that I can't allow you to walk away now, don't you?"

"You _do_ realize that my team, and Team RWBY, were watching you, right?" Fox asked. "They saw me walk away with you. Which means, that if I walk out of here without you, it's over because I won. And if you walk out of here without me, both teams, along with Team JNPR, will know that you kill me, and will come after you. And even if none of _them_ can beat you, they know a certain _someone_ who can."

Cinder glared at him angrily.

"Face it, Cinder," Fox said. "Your plan's ruined. You can't walk out of here and still continue your plan, because everyone will be after you. And since I'm willing to bet that you at least needed to make it to the singles rounds, your plan's impossible. We're still in the team matches."

"You're pretty smart," Cinder smirked. "Smarter than I gave you credit for. I actually have to admit, I didn't plan for this."

"Well, I guess that just proves which of us is better," Fox said.

"Shall we?" a voice behind him asked, Fox spinning to see the girl with pink and brown hair.

"Yes, Neo," Cinder said. "We shall."

* * *

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	11. Chapter 11

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Rematch

"Shall we?"

"Yes, Neo. We shall."

Fox drew his weapon instantly, spinning and deflecting Cinder's blades, kicking her back before flipping over Neo, slashing at her, only for her to deflect it with her umbrella, slamming the end of it into his abdomen and throwing him backward. He flipped, landing on his feet and sprinting forward, rolling under Neo's strike and slashing at her, only for her to shatter and Cinder's foot to crash into his face. He flipped, landing on his back before rolling aside from Cinder, who drove both swords into the ground. He slashed them, breaking both blades before blocking Neo's umbrella and planting his foot in her gut, throwing her backward. He swung his legs in a circle, rolling forward and using their momentum to carry him to his feet in time for his sword to crash into Cinder's single, double-handed scimitar.

"You're quick with your blades," Fox said, spinning and letting her pass, slashing at her only for her to shatter, Neo's umbrella slamming into the underside of his jaw.

Fox flipped to his feet, glaring at Neo. She was the more annoying of the two, even if not the bigger threat. Somehow, he felt like Cinder, even while fighting him in earnest, wasn't really giving him her all. He sprinted forward, flipping over Cinder and landing in front of Neo. He spun as he slashed, sure enough making her shatter. However, just as he did, his sword crashed into her umbrella a half second later. He stopped, lunging forward and ramming his shoulder into her, slamming her into the wall. Then, he grabbed her by the hair and spun.

"Go to sleep!" he shouted, hurling her head first into the opposite wall.

Some part of him felt bad for beating up on a girl. However, that part was instantly silenced as Cinder leapt at him with her sword, slashing and hitting nothing but air. He stood beside her, slashing back only for her to twirl out of the way. She growled in rage, swiping a hand and sending several chunks of ice flying at him. He slashed them out of the air and lunged, slashing at her, smashing straight through her sword, carving a gash into her shoulder. She shouted in rage, flames beginning to fly from her right uncovered eye in the shape of a butterfly wing. She floated into the air, raising her arms as the ground began to glow below Fox. Fox hurled himself aside and it exploded. He stood, sprinting forward away from a couple more explosions before leaping into the air and kicking at Cinder. She caught his foot but before she could throw him, he slashed at her. She flipped backward, landing on her feet and swiping a hand.

Fox flipped into the air, a bolt of lightning flashing out of the air above the crouching bitch and striking the ground behind where he had been. He hurled his sword, Cinder rolling out of the way before he landed in front of her, drilling a punch into her jaw and making her stagger backward. He ripped his sword out of the ground as she hurled a fireball at him. He rolled under it, forming his bow and pulling it back, firing. The arrow sliced off a couple of her hairs before she could react and she shrieked in rage, the wall beside Fox exploding, launching him into the opposite wall, which also exploded. He crashed down hard, his Aura fading, and Cinder formed herself a sword. He waited. She walked forward, growling in annoyance and raising her sword. Then, Fox lunged, driving the sword at her, embedding it entirely through her abdomen. Cinder's eyes widened as the flames coming from her eye went out.

"Sorry," Fox said. "But I'm not helpless just because my Aura's gone. Perks of my semblance." He channeled pure energy into his body, mimicking his aura. "Now die, you bitch."

He slashed sideways out of her and dropped her body to the ground, looking to where he had left Neo, but she was gone. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was going to have a headache, but at least he had beaten Cinder. He left the hallway they had fought in, walking over to his team and sitting down just as Nora slammed her hammer into all four of their competitors, sending them all flying out of the ring.

"Did I miss anything good?" Fox asked.

"Well, they were in the middle of a fight and Jaune's horrible taste in team names caused a team discussion, ending with Jaune deciding to just have Nora knock them all out herself," Wulfe said.

Just then, Professor Port asked for someone to go and make sure the competitors Nora had just launched were all okay. Fox laughed, shaking his head.

"Well?" Ava asked. "What happened?"

"I was right," Fox said. "That girl with the pink and brown hair was there, and was a pain in the ass, and then I killed Cinder."

"You what!?" Ava gasped. "You're sure?"

"Stabbed her on her right side, ripped my sword out her left," Fox said. "Pretty sure."

"Then, what?" Wulfe asked. "Is it over?"

"I know Ava just asked, but, are you one hundred percent sure that you killed her?" Leon asked. "No offense to you, but it doesn't seem like things would end that easily."

Fox stared at him before sighing and leaning back, crossing his arms. "I hate it when you bring down the mood. Maybe things actually went our way for a change." Fox looked across the arena, seeing Mercury and Emerald, both watching him intently. "Or maybe not. I think I should kill Emerald and Mercury too."

"Probably," Leon agreed.

"But they're still in the tournament, so no," Ava said. "It's bad enough you killed Cinder, maybe."

"Oh you too, huh?" Fox asked before sighing. "Okay. So what do we do now?"

"We tell Ozpin, first," Wulfe said. "Then we ready ourselves for it to _not_ be over."

Fox nodded and sighed. "I hate you guys sometimes."

Fox settled in to watch the next fight, four girls from Shade against Sun and Neptune and their two teammates, both with names starting with "S," allowing the team name to be pronounced Sun. The fight started off on a very hysterical note, with half the field being water with a pirate ship and the other being a desert, complete with a miniature, yet sweltering, sun. The funny part was that Neptune, named for the God of the Sea, was afraid of water. Another funny thing was that Weiss, who had an obvious crush on Neptune, saw Neptune flirting with the Shade team and got mad, telling the Shade team to "Break his stupid face." At first, the fight began in the desert, mostly because that was where Neptune ran as fast as he could. Then, one of Sun's teammates was eliminated, so, Sun and Neptune made up for it by quickly taking down one of the Shade team's. Then, the leader of the Shade team, who had the ability to make small tornados, apparently, used one to send Sun and Neptune's other teammate, who looked like a pirate and fought with a cutlass, flying onto the pirate ship.

A moment later, everyone but Neptune was there. However, before much could be done, Sun hurled a pair of coconuts at the leader of Shade's team, only for them to be sent back at him. They missed, and instead hit Sun's pirate teammate, one in the jaw, one in the groin, eliminating him by dropping his Aura down too far. This, of course, left Sun to fight the other three alone, Neptune claiming to be "locking down" the other sector, not even able to help Sun now because it would mean turning toward the ocean. However, after several demands from Sun, and Sun stating that he was afraid of water, Neptune shot the Shade team's leader out of the air before claiming he wasn't afraid. Then, Sun jumped out of the water as Neptune tiptoed toward the water in an attempt to not anger it, and switched his gun to its staff form, driving it into the water, sending lightning flashing across the surface, knocking out the other three Shade members.

"You know what I'd call that victory?" Port asked.

"Shocking?" Oobleck asked.

"No," Port said. "Well earned. What you said is stupid."

"So much for having a sense of humor," Fox snorted. "I am so blackmailing Neptune."

"Definitely," Wulfe grinned.

"Can we focus on the bigger problems?" Leon asked.

"You're right," Fox nodded. "I need to figure out how to blackmail Sun."

"Not that!" Leon snapped. "The bitch! Can we _please_ focus on dealing with the bitch?"

"Sorry," Fox shrugged. "Me and Ava are up soon. Hopefully against Emerald and Mercury."

Just then, Sun, who was dancing in the arena, pointed at Blake and winked, Blake blushing. Fox's smile dropped instantly and he stood.

"I'm going to go and get a drink," Fox grumbled. "And probably hit something I shouldn't."

"Make sure it's the bitch," Leon said.

"Oh, it'll be _a_ bitch, alright," Fox grumbled to himself. "I'm going to hit that bitch pretty fucking soon, at this rate."

Just then, Oobleck called for everyone to leave the coliseum for the day in a clam and orderly fashion. Fox made sure to disappear into the crowd before any of his teammates could follow him.

* * *

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	12. Chapter 12

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Letting Off Steam

Fox stopped as he reached town, walking quickly and quietly through it. He didn't know exactly what he was looking for, but he was sure he'd find something. Finally, he did. A handful of robbers in black suits with red ties and sunglasses wielding swords or machine guns were robbing a jewelry store. Fox stopped, growling and reaching for his sword, only to stop. He grinned. It felt like a perfect time to test his new weapon, or maybe it was his old weapon, he wasn't sure anymore.

He drew the white sword, extending its blade and walking forward. The thieves turned to him and shouted for him to stop. He didn't. One of them charged at him and slashed and he slashed as well. Their swords met with an almost musical ring as Fox's snapped the thief's blade off cleanly. Fox flipped the sword, driving it into the ground and noticing the minimal resistance, then slammed his fists into the thief several times before kicking him backward into the other three. He sprinted forward, flipping over a stream of bullets before falling at the thief shooting at him, kicking his gun aside before superman punching him in the nose, crushing it and flattening the man against the pavement. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he spun, drilling an uppercut into the third thief's lower ribs, lifting him into the air before grabbing him by the front of his suit jacket and hurling him into the last one. Both crashed to the ground and Fox shot forward, slamming a knee into the already-injured thief's jaw before catching the other by the throat and holding him off the ground.

"Where's your boss?" Fox growled.

"The night club!" the thief said. "Three streets over!"

"Good," Fox said. "Take a nap."

He slammed the thief against the wall and walked back to his sword, picking it up and storing it, walking to the night club he had been directed to. As he arrived, he found a single thug standing guard, and dropped him with a quick uppercut to the manhood. Then, he slid the door open, stepping inside and finding everyone aiming a gun at him.

"Kid, you got some balls coming in here," a man in a white shirt and black vest with a red tie and a bull beard said, crossing his arms.

Fox looked around. Thirty to forty basic male thugs, one basic thug working the music wearing a bear hat bigger than his torso, and two females in skirts, one wearing white, the other red. The girl in red had a pair of bracelets with claws reaching past her hands. The other girl had a metal plate on each forearm and shin, and a pair of pistols on the back of her waist, partially hidden by a tattered white train that fell to about the back of her knees. Fox smirked. These would be the elite body guards, despite being made to look like they were just fancy club girls or dancers.

"I guess we're going to have to teach you a lesson," the crime boss was saying.

Fox chuckled darkly. "Oh I am going to Yang Xiao Long the fuck out of all of you." He pointed at the two girls on the upper level of the back. "Except you two. You'll actually warrant the use of my sword."

"So you're one of Blondie's friends, huh?" the crime boss asked. "Why are you here?"

"Simple," Fox grinned, sliding the doors closed. "I need to let off some steam."

And then, he was moving. He was out of the ring of pistols before anyone could react, slamming one thug's head into another's, dropping both. Then, he jumped, flipping and slamming a kick down on another before turning and slamming his fist into one behind him. As that one was being caught by two more, he jumped at them, slamming his knees into their heads and dropping them before flipping and slamming his feet down on two more's feet. Both yanked their feet up instantly, Fox using their movement to increase his own momentum, flipping backward and kicking both under the jaw before crashing down on another. As soon as he had, he grabbed another, spinning and swinging him through the others in a circle before throwing him.

A thug stepped forward, slashing downward at him only for Fox to catch his wrist, twisting sharply to make him drop the sword without anyone getting hurt, then slammed a series of rapid punches into his chest before jumping and kicking him in the face, hurling him away. As he landed, he picked up the sword, hurling it into the wall and catching a punch. He jerked the hand upward and back, dropping the thug to their knees before kicking him in the face. The last ten or so still standing all drew swords and charged. Fox grinned, sprinting forward then dropping into a slide, taking one's feet out from under him before flipping backward onto the thug and slamming a punch into his head. He stood as another slashed add caught his wrist, blocking the next one's sword with the current one's. Then, he yanked downward on the arm while kicking the thug in the groin, flipping him into the air before jumping and kicking him in the gut, sending him blasting through the rest, all of them being knocked out.

Fox grinned, spinning his weapon into a sword instantly in time to block one set of red claws before flipping over the other, kicking the girl forward, only for her to flip, landing on her feet. He grinned, nodding appreciatively just as the other reached her, a curved blade springing out on the outside of both forearms. Both charged and Fox fended off their blows for several seconds before he drove his sword into the ground in time to block a blow from each before jumping, slamming a kick into both of their jaws and knocking them out. He picked up the sword, spinning it back into its collapsed form and put it away, turning to the boss, who backed away quickly, hands raised in surrender.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" the boss said.

"Sorry?" Fox snorted. "For what? I was just going to thank you for the fun."

Just then, the door opened again and Blake stepped in, looking around at the thugs before staring at Fox. He sighed, hanging his head for a moment before looking up at her, seeing the concern in her eyes.

"You know, I'm honestly surprised by how much I'm not surprised to see you here," Fox said.

The two of them walked out of the club silently, heading to an all night tea shop and each getting a cup before either spoke again.

"Your team said you just took off after Sun's fight," Blake said. "They're worried."

"I just needed to blow off steam," Fox said.

"I noticed," Blake said. "Fox, what's going on?"

"It's nothing," Fox said.

"Fox," Blake said. "I'm not blind or stupid."

Fox sighed. "I know you're not. I'm not going to pretend that there's any version of reality in which you don't know."

"Then why not say it?" Blake asked.

"Because it's stupid, pointless, and none of my business," Fox said.

"But it is _my_ business," Blake said. "So tell me."

Fox sighed again. "I don't like seeing him flirt with you, alright? But I know that you like him back, so, there's nothing I can do about it, and I have no right to get mad over it."

"You're right," Blake said. "There _isn't_ anything you can do to stop him. Trust me, if there was, I would have by now. But, you do have a right to be...well, annoyed, at least. Because I like you too. It's...complicated, I guess. You don't flirt. You just show that you care in other ways. And...honestly, I think I prefer that. But, at the same time, you and Sun are a lot alike. That's why I like you both. Both of you are there when I need you, and both of you understand me better than anyone else I know."

"Sorry for worrying you," Fox said. "I didn't mean to."

"Did you beat Cinder?" Blake asked.

"I stabbed her, nearly cut her in half," Fox said. "But I can't shake the feeling that I didn't."

Blake nodded. "So, I have one other question."

Fox glanced up at her, shrinking into his chair slightly upon seeing the intensity of her stare.

"What did Ozpin tell you that made you shut down so completely for so long?" Blake asked. "And don't tell me it doesn't matter, or that you don't want to talk about it."

"He said that every time I die, my semblance reincarnates me into an infant or toddler," Fox said, Blake blinking in confusion before staring at him. "He said that he and I were childhood friends, and that he's met me every time I've regenerated except once. And he said that the reason I didn't know was because each time I do, my memory gets wiped."

Blake stared at him before lowering her gaze to the table, nodding. "I see. Yeah, that would...probably make me question things too."

Fox nodded, finishing his tea before sighing. "We should head to bed. There's more tournament tomorrow."

Blake nodded, finishing her tea as well. Fox left some money on the table and they walked back in silence. Fox walked Blake back to her room and Blake turned, wrapping her arms around him. After a moment of hesitation, Fox hugged her back.

"Please don't shut me out," Blake said. "If you need anything, I'm here. And so is your team."

Fox nodded, Blake squeezing him for a moment before stepping back and slipping into her room. Fox turned, walking to his own room and opening the door, Ava meeting him with a hug. He sighed, wrapping his arms around her and stepping into the room, closing the door.

"Where were you?" Ava asked.

"Working out some stress," Fox said. "I'm okay now."

"Cinder's alive," Leon said.

"What?" Fox asked.

"Ava caught a glimpse of her through the crowd," Wulfe said.

"Not for long enough to be sure," Ava argued.

"It was probably her," Fox said. "Though, how that's possible, I'm not sure. Nor do I want to know."

Wulfe nodded in agreement. "So, what are we going to do?"

"Sleep," Fox said. "Tomorrow, Ava and I will crush whichever team we fight. And as soon as we find Cinder, we crush her. For good, this time."

The others nodded and they all went to bed, Fox struggling to find sleep, even as the others passed out. He knew he had stabbed Cinder. And yet, she was alive. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't force that knowledge out of his head enough to sleep.

* * *

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	13. Chapter 13

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Trouble

Fox walked into the arena and stopped, Ava stopping beside him, sighing knowingly. Across from them, Sun and Neptune also stopped, Sun grinning and Neptune having a reaction similar to Ava's. The two teams walked tot he center, stopping as each of the four sections of the arena changed, in stead of only halves this time. One, was a volcanic lava field. One was a desert. One was an icy plain. And the last, was a forest.

"So, Fox," Sun grinned. "How about we make this a little more interesting?"

"What do you have in mind?" Fox asked.

"The winner gets to ask Blake out on a date, and the loser's not allowed to interfere or flirt for a week," Sun said.

"As much as I would love to make that bet and then thoroughly whoop your ass," Fox said. "I'm not an idiot, unlike you, it seems. I'm not going to bet Blake as a reward for a fight that you and I both can honestly say you _will not_ win. Even you aren't stupid enough to think that you can outfight me, Sun. And while I _could_ easily win the bet, it's not my place to try and dictate who she talks to, or who talks to her. I don't own either of you, and I'm not going to try to control either of you."

"Fair enough," Sun said, extending his staff. "Then how about the loser has to wear a dress for a week."

"Also a no," Fox said, spinning his weapon into a sword.

"Can we fight now?" Neptune asked.

"Ava, Neptune's yours," Fox said.

Ava nodded, slamming her briefcase into his gut before he could react, then spinning and throwing him away, chasing after him, suddenly spinning a double-bladed staff in her hands. Fox slashed at Sun, who flipped into the desert. Fox chased him, slashing at him rapidly, Sun deflecting the slashes, slamming his staff, or its nunchucks form, into Fox rapidly as he did. Finally, Fox spun past the staff, catching it and spinning, hurling Sun away. Sun flipped, landing on his feet, then leaned to the side, catching his staff as it streaked past. Fox reached him a moment later, energy flashing over his arms before Sun began to spin the staff around himself, striking with blistering speed. This time, however, Fox was able to deflect most of the blows, dodging others. As they fought, Sun leapt and flipped around the desert, Fox never more than a few feet behind him. Eventually, they reached the edge of the desert and Fox blocked the staff, kicking Sun and sending him sprawling onto his back on the ice, skidding backward. Fox skated after him, Sun spinning and flipping to his feet in time to swipe at Fox's feet while ducking under a slash, Fox jumping over the staff.

As Fox landed, both took off, skating around in a circle then back at each other. When they met, it wasn't with their weapons. Both slammed a fist into the other's jaw, flipping them onto their backs. Sun rolled away as Fox flipped to his feet. Then, Fox leapt at him, Sun flipping over him and allowing Fox to land on his stomach, sliding across the ice with a hand supporting his chin and the other drumming his fingers on the ice as he went. He flipped as he reached the center, landing on his feet and setting his sword down, blocking Sun's staff just before Ava crashed down on the ice, her hammer shattering it, Neptune having only barely avoided the hammer. Not that it mattered. Within a second, Ava has spun and drilled the end of a bo staff into his gut, lifting him before she propellored the staff and slammed it into his face, sending him hurtling out of the arena.

Fox ducked under a swipe from Sun's staff and stood, swinging an uppercut, which Sun leaned out of the way of. Then, as Fox was standing fully, Sun slammed both of his nunchucks into Fox's gut, hurling him backward. Fox flipped, landing hard and rolling to a stop, Sun laughing and kicking his sword away. Fox could, of course, use his _other_ sword, but his anger was starting to get the best of him.

"You know, I never understood why you were so ashamed of what you are," Sun said. "After all, I show my tail, and I'm accepted. Velvet doesn't hide her ears, and everyone loves her. But you...you're afraid. Why? What happened to make you so ashamed of yourself?"

Fox grit his teeth. Who was Sun to lecture him about being ashamed? He wasn't ashamed. He just didn't want to deal with it. However, Sun's comments had finally pushed the wrong buttons. Fox's hair began to stand on end all over his body, even on his head. His ears stood up, angling forward, and his tail reached up out of the back of his pants. There was murmuring through the crowd, but it all died down as Fox growled, crouching, fingernails extending into claws.

"Shut the hell up, Sun," Fox growled. "You don't know anything! You don't _get_ to tell me I shouldn't be ashamed! YOU WEREN'T THERE! ! !"

Fox shot forward, Sun swiping at him with his staff, only for Fox to catch it and turn, swinging Sun over him self and slamming him down, then hurling the staff away. Fox shot forward as Sun stood, drilling a punch into Sun's jaw and flipping him backward. Sun bounced once before Fox slashed with his right hand's claws, the claws grating at Sun's Aura. Sun shouted in surprise, flipping and landing on his feet as Fox retracted the claws, streaking forward again. Sun flipped over his first punch, but Fox planted a foot and leapt the other way, slamming both fists down into Sun's shoulders, smashing him into the ground. Fox flipped, landing on his hands and feet and growling, only to stop as Ava seta a hand on his shoulder.

"Fox, that's not you," Ava said. "Come back."

Fox blinked slowly, hair slowly falling back into place and ears laying down flat again. He stood, sighing and looking back at his tail. "Guess the secret's out."

"It's alright," Ava said. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," Fox said. "Thank you."

She smiled, nodding, and Fox turned back to Sun. Sun pushed himself up, dusting himself off and sighing.

"I'm sorry," Sun said. "I didn't mean to piss you off and make you go feral. I don't know what happened to you, but clearly I can't understand."

"No," Fox agreed. "You can't. You ready to finish this?"

Sun grinned and nodded. Both charged, beginning to strike at each other barehanded, both blocking and dodging pretty much everything. Now that Fox was calm, they were pretty evenly matched. Finally, Sun's tail caught one of Fox's arms and his hand caught Fox's other arm. Sun jumped, kicking Fox in the chest and throwing him back. Fox flipped, landing on his feet and glancing at the Aura tracker above the arena. Sun had recovered his aura to about forty percent. Fox's own was bordering on ten percent, at which point he would be eliminated.

He rolled his eyes, cracking his knuckles and looking back at Sun as Sun picked up his staff, spinning it. Fox raised a hand and Ava tossed him his sword. Then, Fox spun it into a bow. Sun sprinted forward instantly, having no intention of being shot. He leapt at Fox, stabbing with the staff and kicking at the same time. Fox ducked under it, then grabbed Sun's tail with his free hand, pulling the Bow's string back and trapping Sun's tail inside of an arrow.

"No please!" Sun said. "Anything but that!"

"Have a nice flight," Fox said, letting go.

A moment later, the arrow exploded into a shower of sparks against the barrier, Sun slamming into it as well before falling now that his tail was free. The crowd erupted into cheers and Fox sighed, collapsing his weapon and putting it away before he and Ava walked out of the ring, Neptune and Sun both limping out as well. Almost as soon as Fox was out of the arena, Blake met him with a hug.

"Are you okay?" Blake asked, worriedly.

"I'm fine," Fox smiled. "I think I might have broken Sun's pride, though. Or his dignity."

"He'll be fine," Blake said. "Fox, are you sure you're okay? Whenever a faunus goes feral, it's...bad."

"Blake, I'm fine," Fox said, cupping her cheek for a moment before taking his hand back. "He just said the wrong thing, but I calmed down. I'll be fine."

Blake nodded, sighing, and hugged him again. "When are you going to stop worrying me?"

"Maybe after I kill Cinder for real," Fox said. "Anyway, if you wouldn't mind turning away, I'm going to hide my tail again."

Blake nodded, turning around and Fox quickly shoved his tail back into his pants. Once he had, he, Blake, and Ava returned to the stands, their teams having sat with each other today. After a few more fights, including Weiss and Yang against a pair of jazz, or maybe disco, rejects, a fight that during which Weiss tackled a Dust-trumpet playing opponent into a geyser to try to take out, the finals began. Fox said his goodbyes before heading back into the arena. Unlike the rest of the matches, they would only find out who they were fighting when they had to fight them. No time to plan or prepare, and no breaks. First up, however, was Mercury and Yang. He could honestly say he was _not_ looking forward to the match.

The fight was brutal. No question. Their weapons functioned about the same way, but where Yang's gauntlets allowed her slightly more maneuverability, speed, and variety, Mercury's boot versions gave him a slight advantage of power. He knew how to use his weapons, too. Whatever speed Yang should have had, he was able to match, her variety he was able to actually beat, and her maneuverability just wasn't enough. Eventually, the fight seemed to end when he slammed her into the ground before a tornado of white Dust energy blasts crashed down on her. However, it simply activated her semblance, allowing her beat him senseless in a matter of seconds. Once it was over, she calmed, Mercury pushing himself up to his feet as she was passing him. Then, as she was walking away, she suddenly turned, Fox catching a look of surprise, then irritation in her eyes, before she punched, firing a blast of Dust Energy into his knee, shattering it. Fox's mouth fell open as everyone in the crowd watched on in horror, a collective gasp ringing out around the arena.

Within seconds, two security guards had their guns trained on Yang, along with six robots. Yang looked around at them in confusion. Fox stood. She didn't know. She had no idea what she had actually done. At least, not until she looked up at the screens above her, which were replaying her attack. He watched more confusion blossom on her face. Fox turned, leaving the stands quickly, the others all following. A few moments after they left, everyone else began to do the same. They headed back to the school, Team RWBY meeting Yang in their room, Ironwood and a pair of robots waiting. After a few minutes, Ironwood left and Fox walked in.

"Yang, what happened?" Fox asked.

"You saw," Yang said.

"Yes, I did," Fox said. "But what I didn't see is what I'm concerned with. What did _you_ see?"

Yang stared at him for several moments before sighing. "I saw him stand up when I wished him better luck next time. He said, 'Not gonna be a next time, Blondie,' and then he attacked me. So, I attacked back."

"So it wasn't just what you saw?" Fox asked. "You heard him too?"

Yang nodded.

"Okay," Fox nodded.

"What's going on?" Yang asked.

"I think it's Emerald," Fox said. "I think she has the ability to create illusions, but only for one person at a time, maybe more if she strains herself."

"Like the illusion of Mercury attacking me to make me break his leg," Yang said.

"Or the illusion of you killing Cinder," Blake said.

"Exactly," Fox nodded.

"Well, if Cinder really _is_ still alive, then we might need to deal with that," Leon said. "Like, right now."

"We'll never find her," Fox said. "She has Neo, the girl that helped Torchwick escape last time, and she has Emerald, if I'm right. She'd have to find us. Which would ruin her plans. I need to find Ozpin. Maybe he can explain what this bitch is after."

"Maybe," Wulfe said. "Let's go."

"No," Fox said. "I'm sorry, but this is something I have to do alone."

"Why?" Ava asked.

"Because I know Ozpin," Fox said.

"We all do," Leon argued.

"No," Blake said. "He's right. He has to take care of this himself. The rest of you should head to the arena and try to stop whatever Cinder has planned."

Everyone looked at her before Fox sighed. "Okay, I'm leaving now. If all goes well, I'll meet you all at the arena."

They all nodded and Fox left, jogging through the hallways.

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	14. Chapter 14

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Truth

Fox knocked on Ozpin's door and was allowed in a moment later. As he walked in, Glynda was waiting for him to leave to finish whatever conversation she had been having with Ozpin, as was the other person there. He was about Glynda's age, maybe a little younger, and had black hair combed back messily with his bangs hanging down to his eyebrows, the beginnings of a beard, a light grey jacket with coattails hanging to the back of his knees, a slightly darker grey up the front, and a black collar and cuffs, black pants, a dark red cape hanging as low as his coattails, and what looked like a large, grey, single-edged sword at the back of his waist folded in half to be carried.

"How may I help you, Fox?" Ozpin asked.

"We need to discuss Cinder," Fox said.

"Who?" Ozpin asked.

"Cinder," Fox said. "The bitch that broke into the tower, and is currently here from Haven? Yeah, she uses magic. Real magic."

"Are you sure?" Ozpin asked.

"Well, when I fought her, flames started coming out of her eye and she started making the ground and walls explode under me, then starting through lightning bolts and fireballs at me out of thin air, so, yeah, I'm pretty sure."

Ozpin, Glynda, and the third person all traded matching expressions of worry. Fox raised an eyebrow.

"You said you saw this when you fought her," Glynda said. "I take it you're not referring to in the tower?"

"No," Fox said. "I'm not. I fought her in a maintenance access hallway during JNPR's team match. But it's...a bit complicated."

"How so?" Ozpin asked.

"Well, for one thing, I stabbed her and cut her spin in half during the fight," Fox said, all three staring at him in confusion.

"Then...she's dead?" the third person asked.

"Who are you?" Fox asked.

"This is Qrow," Ozpin said. "He's a friend of mine, and Ruby and Yang's uncle."

"Nice to meet you," Fox said. "And no, she's not dead."

"But, you said-"

"At the end of Yang's fight, she swears on her life, her mother's life, and Ruby's life that Mercury Black attacked her, and that's why she broke his leg," Fox said. "Obviously, he didn't. However, I'm tempted to believe Yang."

"Wait, you think he did too?" Glynda asked. "So then, the entire audience, as well as every single camera present, were all seeing an illusion?"

"Not at all," Fox said. "We saw what was really happening. But Yang didn't. She saw, and heard, Mercury attacking her. So she reacted."

"So then, you believe Mercury Black has the ability to create illusions, and did so in order to make Yang break his leg?" Qrow asked. "What sense does that make?"

"Not Mercury," Fox said. "Emerald. His teammate. Also, coincidentally, Cinder's teammate. I think that _she_ made Yang break Mercury's leg, because the entire world saw a girl taught by Ozpin cruelly and brutally breaking a beaten competitor's leg after being named victor. That doesn't look good. Their plan, at least for now, is most likely to make Ozpin look bad and lose support."

"So, you think this Emerald person saved Cinder by making you think you killed her?" Glynda asked.

"Yes," Fox said. "And for the record, I doubt Mercury is down for the count either. I suspect he has a way to get his leg working again, if I had to guess, he has a prosthetic."

"Why?" Ozpin asked. "What would they stand to gain?"

"You tell me," Fox said. "You're the one who told me that magic exists. What would a woman who fights with magic stand to gain by coming here and making you lose support?"

Everyone stared at Fox before turning to Ozpin.

"You told him magic exists?" Qrow asked.

"I was explaining his semblance to him," Ozpin said. "But yes, those words may have left my mouth."

"Well?" Glynda asked. "What do you think?"

Ozpin was silent for a while, steepling his fingers in front of his face. Finally, he stood. "Follow me, Fox. I think you should know whose target you've hung around your neck."

Ozpin walked to the elevator, turning to the front and gesturing for Fox to join him. Fox did so, crossing his arms as Glynda and Qrow stepped in as well. Ozpin slid a panel aside, pressing a button below it. The elevator began to move and Ozpin rested his hands on his staff again, Glynda and Qrow also standing in silence, facing the door. Fox felt a little uneasy as the ride dragged on. Then, finally, the doors slid open and Fox stepped out, looking around. They were in a very long, very massive hallway with a line of square pillars leading away from the elevator, green flames on the inside of them giving everything a green tint. At the end of the line was an intersection of sorts, with a large intricate seal on the floor, then three more hallways branching off. Ozpin walked straight across the intersection, so Fox followed. The others were still silent, and Fox was starting to get annoyed about the lack of answers. Finally, they reached the end of the hallway and stopped.

Before them, there was a large machine. It filled the wall at the end of the hallway. On the left side, there was a stasis pod with a woman inside of it, a woman with short brown hair, tan skin, a white strip of cloth around her breasts and a pair of white shorts, and what looked like a chemical burn scar under her left eye. On the right side, there was an empty stasis pod lying down. In between the two stasis pods were three screens, a large one in between two small ones, and there was a sort of large black power cord running from the top of the girl's pod to the other one.

"What the hell is this?" Fox asked. "Who is she?"

"The current Fall Maiden, Amber," Ozpin said.

"Fall Maiden?" Fox asked.

"What's your favorite fairy tale?" Ozpin asked.

"Definitely not the one about the Four Maidens," Fox said. "I'm guessing that one's true, though."

"It is," Ozpin nodded. "I gave each of the original Four Maidens the ability to wield real magic. Each time one of them dies, its power transfers to the next maiden."

"How is one chosen?" Fox asked.

"At first, all that was known is that it was always a young woman, but it was thought to be random," Glynda said. "However, over time, it was discovered that the selection process was much more...intimate."

"I'm guessing intimate, in this case, doesn't mean lesbian sex," Fox said.

"Hah!" Qrow laughed. "If only. No. It's the last person in the previous maiden's thoughts, so long as they fit the criteria. Obviously if they're last thoughts are a man, or a woman who's too old, it becomes a lot more annoying to find them."

"Do they have to like the person?" Fox asked.

"No," Qrow said. "That's a good point, though. If the killer is a young woman, there's a good chance they'll inherit the power."

"So what does Amber have to do with Cinder?" Fox asked. "Amber's alive. Unless you mean to tell me Cinder is one of the other Maidens."

"Amber is unique," Ozpin said. "She was inexperienced when someone attacked her."

"We think that person is Cinder," Qrow said. "You see, your description of her matches what a Maiden looks like when they use their full power."

"How does that make sense?" Fox asked. "Amber's alive."

"It makes sense," Qrow said. "Because when Amber was attacked, someone stole some of her power. For the first time in history, a Maiden's power has been split. We don't know what will happen when Amber dies, and we're using the machinery to keep her alive at this point. There's a high chance that the power will just seek itself out. For obvious reasons, we can't allow that."

"Somehow, I feel like this isn't the only thing Cinder's after," Fox said.

"It's not," Ozpin said. "Hidden beneath this school, somewhere in the vault, there is a relic. Only the Fall Maiden can retrieve this relic, and we believe _that_ is what Cinder is after."

"So what do we do about Amber?" Fox asked. "If we kill Cinder, will Amber recover?"

"No," Ozpin said. "She's going to die. But we may have a way around it. This machine has the ability to transfer aura from one person to another."

"That's wrong in so many ways," Fox said. "What would happen to the person that gets the aura?"

"We don't know," Qrow said. "Trust me, we agree about the morals of it. But we don't have a choice. We've run out of time."

"I assume you've got a candidate in mind?" Fox asked.

"We do," Ozpin nodded. "Pyrrha Nikos."

Fox fell silent. She was a good choice. She excelled at everything, she fit the more basic criteria, and she was definitely selfless enough to be willing to take the risks. But she was his friend. And he didn't want her, at worst, completely replaced by Amber.

"It's not an easy decision, nor is it easy to watch friends risk their lives while we remain powerless to keep them safe," Ozpin said.

"It's a good choice," Fox said. "if I could kill Cinder, and Amber got her power back, could we get her to wake up long enough to transfer the powers to Pyrrha without Pyrrha risking being replaced?"

"It's possible," Ozpin said. "However, we have no guarantees. The best option is to do things this way."

"Have you asked Pyrrha?" Fox asked.

"We have," Ozpin nodded. "She requested time to think about it."

"I bet she did," Fox said. "Okay. I'm going to go and find the rest of my team. I'm going to go and tell them to be ready for a fight, I'm not saying who or what. If you need me here, signal. Don't care how or what, just make it obvious."

Ozpin nodded and Fox turned, walking back to the elevator and returning to the ground floor, heading for the arena.

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	15. Chapter 15

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Fall

As Fox walked into the arena, his eyes swept the stands, seeing Emerald sitting in the stands, squinting and glaring into the arena. In the arena, Penny was fighting against Pyrrha. Well, actually, Penny was standing with eight blades floating over her, held by tiny wires that were only visible if you happened to notice them barely catch the light for a fraction of a second. Fox just so happened to be in the right position to see one of the wires. The problem was, Pyrrha was looking around in the air in front of her like she was seeing more than eight. Fox looked back to Emerald, seeing Wulfe seated behind her. He pulled out his scroll instantly, calling Wulfe.

The moment Wulfe felt his scroll buzz, he kicked outward, hitting Emerald's seat hard enough to make her jerk, breaking her concentration. Fox looked back to Pyrrha in time to see Pyrrha's head jerk backward out of surprise as Penny sent her blades flying at her. Pyrrha flipped over the blades, her own sword and shield streaking to her instantly as she landed and sprinted at Penny. However, as she slashed, Fox glanced at Emerald, seeing her looking at the arena again, ignoring Wulfe leaning forward and talking to her while tapping her on the shoulder and hitting her seat. She was good at focusing. Which was bad for Pyrrha.

Fox looked back at Pyrrha and Penny just as Pyrrha's sword tore a gash into Penny's side and removed an arm. Several people screamed instantly, Penny's arm landing on the ground, sparking and with wires sticking out, as was Penny's side. Penny stared at it before falling to her knees, then pitching forward.

"She's a robot?" Fox mumbled.

He looked around the stands. People were having mixed reactions between horror at Penny being killed, and shock that she was a robot. He could practically feel the negative emotions in the air. Pyrrha looked more shocked and about to throw up than anyone. And the cameras were still rolling. Fox stared at them. Something was wrong. As he watched, a transparent red box with a black chess piece queen in the middle flashed and appeared on the screens. Fox narrowed his eyes, running outside and looking down at the city while he listened.

"This, is not a tragedy," Cinder's voice said from the speakers Fox swearing loudly, raising his ears to listen. "This was _not_ an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your _children_ , to men who claim to be our guardians, but are, in reality, nothing more than men. Our academies' headmasters wield more power than most armies. And one was audacious enough to control both. They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army, mercilessly torn apart by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? I don't think the grimm can tell the difference.

"And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? First a dismemberment, now this? Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy. Yet I have witnessed neither. Perhaps Ozpin thought as thought defeating Atlas in the tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps this was a message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces. Honestly? I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong. But I know that the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves. As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is...equally undesirable. Our kingdoms are at the brink of war. Yet we, the citizens are left in the dark. So I ask you, when the first shots are fired, who do _you_ think you can trust?"

Suddenly, the breach siren began to blare from below him. He growled in anger, turning and running into the arena's combat area, slowing to a stop beside Penny and Pyrrha. He dropped to a knee beside Penny, Pyrrha looking over at him.

"What..." Pyrrha asked.

"My semblance is to control pure energy," Fox said. "Doesn't matter what kind."

He set his hand on Penny's forehead and it began to glow white, Penny's insides also lighting up white as he used his semblance to force her to reboot and stay active. Beams of energy began to shoot from one end of a break in her power cords at the wound to the other end. Then, Penny's eyes lit up their normal green and flicked around as she looked around.

"Penny," Fox said. "Can you repair yourself?"

"Yes," Penny said. "I need to start with my side."

Fox nodded, carefully lifting Penny so she could see her side and her other hand opened into an assortment of tools, which she put to work repairing her side, the damage slowly being sealed back up as good as new. Suddenly, a Nevermore slammed down on the top of the arena's barrier, screeching. Penny looked up at it, then looked back down at her side, returning to her work. Fox grit his teeth. It was hard keeping her running with his semblance. His head was throbbing and his entire body was getting sore like he had been fighting for hours.

"Hurry Penny," Fox growled.

"Almost done," Penny said just before her internal power source kicked back on. "Okay, I am now self sustaining again."

Fox stopped instantly, falling flat on his back and groaning, Pyrrha kneeling beside him.

"Are you alright?" Pyrrha asked.

"Get to Ozpin," Fox said. "Even if you decide not to do it, you need to protect Amber."

Pyrrha's eyes widened and she stood, nodding. He caught her ankle before she could go.

"Take Jaune," Fox said. "And tell him how you really feel about him. I think you might be pleasantly surprised."

Pyrrha nodded and turned, running out of the arena. Fox took several more breaths as his team arrived before standing, Penny standing as well as she was reattaching her arm.

"Thank you for rebooting me," Penny said.

"You're welcome," Fox said.

Just then, Ruby slammed into both Fox and Penny, hugging them while thanking Fox and welcoming Penny back at the same time. After a minute, Fox managed to get away from Ruby and stood, looking up at the Nevermore.

"Okay," Fox said. "That Nevermore is going to be one of the smallest ones here. I have to find Cinder and kill her. The rest of you need to help with the Grimm. I'll try to join you as soon as I can."

The others nodded and Fox drew his new weapon, extending it as a bow and drawing it back before releasing it. The arrow punched through the barrier easily, killing the Nevermore before the barrier repaired itself and Fox switched weapons, sprinting out of the arena and stopping at the edge, staring down into the city. This time, he spotted her. A tiny speck of red on a black rooftop. He leapt off, falling toward her as he activated his Semblance. As he neared her, he fired an arrow. At the last second, Cinder's head snapped upward and she leapt away, Emerald and Mercury, who were standing beside her, also leapt away as the arrow punched down through the roof where Cinder had been. Cinder formed a pair of curved broadswords just in time for Fox's sword to crash into them, he and Cinder both exploding down through the building, Cinder bouncing off the ground floor and shouting in pain as Fox landed feet first, dropping into a crouch but not being injured, thanks to his semblance. He glared at Cinder, watching as she stood, flames already flowing from her eye.

"You just do not know when to give up," Cinder said.

"I was about to say the same thing," Fox said. "You had to have Emerald save your ass once already. Don't think I'll fall for that trick again."

"Oh, that wasn't because I lost the fight," Cinder said. "It was because I needed you to _think_ I did."

Fox's eyes narrowed and he shot forward, slashing at her, only for Cinder to duck under it, forming a pair of sword and beginning to slash at him rapidly. Fox blocked or dodged her slashes, striking back when he could, Cinder managing to do the same. Neither was even able to hit each other's Aura. Finally, Fox allowed Cinder to rake her swords across his semblance-charged aura as he drilled the tip of his own sword into her aura over her navel, lifting her into the air and making her shout in pain, despite the blade being blocked. Then, he flipped, slamming the blade and his foot both into her torso, launching her backward through the wall of the building. She bounced into the street, rolling to her feet as Fox stepped out of the building. Emerald and Mercury landed beside her but she stepped forward, holding her swords out to her sides.

"Keep filming," Cinder said. "I can handle this."

As Mercury and Emerald turned to the building behind them, Cinder slashed, a half dozen lightning bolts flying off of the arc of each sword's slash, blasting into Fox and launching him backward into the building again, Aura completely depleted and torso burned. He groaned, pushing himself up and feeling like his body wasn't hurting nearly bad enough. He sprinted sideways, leaving the building's front door just as Cinder sent a massive fireball into it, demolishing the inside of the building. Fox jumped, flipping and firing an arrow at Cinder. She shouted in surprise, dodging to the side, his arrow slicing her hair off just above her shoulder. She shrieked in rage as Fox landed, forcing his semblance to start recharging his Aura. He sprinted forward, returning his bow to its sword form and slashing at Cinder, his sword crashing into her swords. She shoved his blade away and stabbed at him but he sidestepped it, slamming a kick into her abdomen.

She recovered quickly, turning and slashing at him, only for him to spin past the blade and stab at her. She deflected the blade to the side, the blade scraping along her aura for a moment before she knocked the blade away and slashed at him with her other sword. Fox dropped, sliding past her, then flipping to his feet just as she stabbed both blades backward at him. He slashed them to the side and she spun, releasing one blade, which attached itself to the base of the other as she flipped. Fox stepped forward as she began to turn, three arrows forming, fire and electricity each flashing over two of the arrows and the last being made of ice, only for him to slash her bow sideways, the three arrows hitting the street. A massive formation of ice spikes exploded out of the ground where the ice arrow had hit before the fire and lightning arrow exploded, lightning flashing outward over the ground for a dozen meters as a massive fireball blasted the ice structure and threw Fox backward.

"You're out of your league, Fox," Cinder said, pulling the bow back again, an ice arrow forming.

Just then, the ground shook and she let the tension out of her bow, grinning. Then, she turned, leaping to the top of the building with Mercury and Emerald as her weapons faded. Fox groaned, pushing himself up slowly just as a massive grimm dragon flew overhead, roaring.

"What...is that?" Fox breathed.

He looked up, seeing that all three of the others were gone and groaned. He needed to get to Beacon. He began to limp toward it, managing to walk normally again after a quarter mile. He began to jog shortly after and arrived at the school grounds in time to see everyone fighting a pair of the heavy mechs that he and Team RWBY had struggled against. Everyone, in this case, meant Team CFVY, Team SSSN, Weiss, Nora, and Ren. As he arrived, Velvet held her arm out to the side, a light shining from the camera case she always had with her and formed a holographic scythe in her hand. Except, it wasn't just a scythe. It was _Ruby's_ scythe. She leapt into the air over a burst of machine gun fire before flipping and falling past the first mech, slashing it several times. Then, as she landed, the scythe became Weiss's sword. She used it to block a punch and leapt backward before streaking forward, stabbing and slashing it several times as she jumped into the air before crashing into it with Yang's gauntlets.

As she landed, she sent a pair of energy blasts at the robot, Fox's eyebrows rising as she did. Then, she darted forward, trading the gauntlets for Blake's sword and sheath, latching onto the mech's hand with the sword, holding the strap and swinging around the mech, binding its legs. She pulled it tight and the mech fell to the side just before the other swung at Velvet, only for her to take its hand off in a single blow from the sheath before hurling it into the mech's head, forcing it backward. Then, she had Coco, her team leader's minigun, lighting up the standing mech with it. The mech kept walking, and as it swung at her again, she switched to Sun's staff, knocking the blow sideways as she flipped over it. She slammed several more strikes into the mech as she travelled up its body before jumping and slamming Nora's hammer down on its arm, breaking it off.

The first mech began to stand finally and Velvet switched Nora's hammer for Penny's swords. She dropped off the mech she was on, using the swords to slice its legs off before switching the swords to their laser cannon form and blasting the downed mech. Just as she did, the other mech swung a punch at her but Ava arrived, driving a greatsword as tall as she was a full foot into the ground, stopping the fist could. Instantly, Weiss took off at a run, a glyph forming in the air behind her as she closed in on the mech. The mech swung at her but an arm and greatsword, both made of ice, formed, the sword blocking the punch. Then, it shoved it aside, raising the sword and splitting the mech down the middle, the glyph tilting as needed. Fox grinned, jogging over to them.

"Well done Weiss!" Fox called out. "Velvet, that was amazing!"

Velvet smiled happily as Fox slowed to a stop in front of Weiss and Ava.

"Where's Blake?" Fox asked. "And Wulfe and Leon?"

"Blake and I got separated," Weiss said. "She was doing well fighting, though, so she's probably fine."

Fox nodded, looking to Ava.

"Leon turned," Ava said.

"What!?" Fox growled.

Ava turned, displaying a gash on the back of her shoulder, the gash thankfully shallow and minor, as well as bandaged, but clearly painful. "Wulfe is dealing with him. Is Cinder dead?"

"Yeah, I doubt that'll be happening by my hand," Fox said. "She, Emerald, and Mercury got away."

Just then, the ground began to shake as another mech sprinted around the corner, watching them with a pair of glowing red eyes in its head. Fox stabbed his sword into the ground, pulling out the other and extending it as a bow, pulling it back and sending the arrow directly through the robot's head, destroying it instantly. He put that weapon away and looked toward the city as his fox ears picked up Blake's voice, screaming. He sprinted that way instantly, slashing his way through several grimm and Atlas robots, then slowed to a stop as he got a certain distance into the city.

"Blake!" Fox shouted. "Blake!?"

The only thing to answer were grimm, which he dealt with quickly, all the while listening for Blake. Just as he was about to kill the last Ursa, however, Neo crashed down on it, being knocked unconscious from the impact, as well as suffering multiple broken bones. He picked her up, breaking her remaining limbs, and looked around one last time.

"Blake!" he shouted again.

Nothing. Not even grimm. He looked up as the only remaining Atlas warship exploded. It had shot down the other two, and it looked like it was this one's turn now. He grit his teeth. He wanted to find Blake. But he had to stop Cinder. He turned to the tower just as green energy flashed up it for a half second. Ozpin's signal. He sprinted toward it, dropping Neo unceremoniously at Ava's feet.

"Cinder's teammate!" He called back to her. "Don't kill her!"

Then, he slowed to a stop at the front of the tower when he saw Pyrrha kissing Jaune. Then, she shoved him into a locker behind him, sending the locker flying away from the school. She turned to enter the school but stopped as Fox sent an arrow past her. She turned, staring at him, and he slowed to a stop in front of her.

"Ozpin?" Fox asked.

"Fought her alone," Pyrrha said. "She got the Fall Maiden's power. She...she's at the top of the tower now."

Fox nodded. "Okay. I'm going. You're going to go find your boyfriend and apologize. Then, you're going to apologize to Ava and Blake for me."

"Fox, I'm not letting you," Pyrrha said. "I have to do this. It's my destiny."

"No," Fox said. "It's not. Your destiny is to be with Jaune. To help save the world. This isn't how you do it. Your hero complex won't change the fact that I'm the better option."

"I don't have a hero complex," Pyrrha said.

"Yes you do," Fox said. "You hate being considered the invincible woman, yet here you are going to fight a battle you know you can't win and arguing against letting me do it instead, even though I'm a better fighter, have a stronger semblance, and will survive the fight regardless of the outcome."

"What do you mean you'll survive regardless?" Pyrrha asked.

"My semblance is a bit of a double-edged sword as well as a guardian angel," Fox said. "When I die, it transforms me into energy and I reincarnate, rather than moving on to the afterlife. As a payoff, however, I lose all of my memories. So even if I lose to Cinder, I'll survive. If you lose, you're gone."

Pyrrha stared at him before sighing. "Okay. What do you want me to tell Blake and Ava?"

"Tell Ava I'm sorry that I never felt the same as she did, and that I wish I could return her feelings," Fox said, drawing his weapon and focusing his semblance. "Tell her I hope she finds happiness, and that maybe she should consider Wulfe's feelings for her. Tell Wulfe to look after her. As for Blake...well...just...tell her I love her. And that I wish I had had the balls to kiss her and accept the consequences while I was still able to. And tell Sun that he had damn well better take care of Blake for me, especially now that I'm doing him a favor."

Pyrrha nodded and turned, running away. As she did, Fox turned, running up the wall of the towe.

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	16. Chapter 16

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Settled

Leon flipped over Wulfe's laser and landed at a sprint, slashing at Wulfe while bending backward, ducking under Wulfe's counter attack. As Leon turned, switched his sword to a gun and held it to his shoulder, firing. The bullet slammed into the back of Wulfe's shoulder and flipped him like a top, Wulfe crashing down hard on his back. Leon smirked, walking forward and switching back to a sword, dragging it along the ground.

"You're a failure," Leon said. "You can't protect anything, because you're too weak. You may be fast, but you're weak. No wonder Ava chose Fox."

"Shut your mouth!" Wulfe snarled, pushing himself up slowly. "You don't know anything! You're a filthy traitor!"

"No!" Leon snapped. "I'm the only loyal one left! You all betrayed the White Fang! Fox left because he felt like it, Ava chased him, and you left to be with your unrequited love and your best friend, who she chose over you. Of all three, yours is the most sad."

Wulfe roared in rage, streaking forward and slashing at Leon, sho blocked the claws, only for the others to crash into him, hurling him backward. An Ursa Major leapt at Leon but Wulfe blasted it, then instantly blasted Leon. Leon managed to get his sword in the way of the blast, but just as he was moving it aside, Wulfe tore into him, straining his Aura and hurling him across the street. Leon crashed down hard and bounced, flipping and landing on his feet, skidding to a stop and smirking.

"You're kidding," Leon laughed. "After all this time, _that_ _'s_ all it took to make you go Feral?"

Wulfe streaked toward Leon, who stepped forward, slashing Wulfe just as Wulfe's claws slammed into Leon. Both flew backward, their Aura's fading, but Wulfe was on his feet first. Wulfe streaked forward again and Leon knelt, spinning his sword into its rifle form and shouldering it. Then, just before he fired, Wulfe leapt into the air, slamming his claws together, Leon's eyes widening.

"I'm not Feral you son of a bitch!" Wulfe shouted. "I'm pissed!"

Then, he fired, his laser punching completely through Leon, blasting him into the ground. Leon coughed up blood as Wulfe landed over him.

"Mer...Mer..." Leon coughed again and Wulfe growled.

"No way," Wulfe said. "Not for you."

Then, he drove his claws down into Leon's face, killing him. He sighed as he stood, cracking his neck before looking around. The others would be at Beacon, he guessed.

He headed that way, but a few corners later he slowed to a stop, staring. Before him, standing amid a dozen dead Atlas soldiers and even more dead grimm, was none other than Adam Taurus. Adam turned toward him and grinned.

"Well well, the traitor," Adam said. "Leon told me all about you. The speed fighter. Claws that fire a beam of energy. Troublesome semblance. In love with a girl who prefers your best friend. Such a sad fool. Come. Let's see how good you really are."

Wulfe crouched, gritting his teeth as his tail flicked angrily, its fur standing on end. Then, a dozen clones of him, minus clothing as per usual with his semblance, burst out of his torso, ruining his own shirt. The clones all charged at Adam, all wearing claws, at least, and began to attack him, Adam backpedalling, his red-bladed ninjato barely fending off the onslaught. Finally, he flipped, shooting three of the Wulfe clones, watching as blood exploded out of them and they fell to the ground.

"So it's true," Adam smirked. "Your semblance really is living, breathing clones."

"Yes!" Wulfe snarled, landing behind Adam, laser firing.

Adam spun, blocking the laser before spinning and slashing the remaining clones as they leapt at him. At the same time, more burst out of Wulfe, all beginning to rapidly fire their lasers at him, Adam dodging through the lasers before reaching the clones and carving his way through. As he reached Wulfe, Wulfe released yet another wave of clones, blocking Adam's sword. Then, the clones all leapt at Adam as Adam grinned.

"Checkmate," Adam smirked, firing his gun up through Wulfe's ribcage and out his shoulder.

Wulfe coughed, blood splattering over the front of Adam's shirt as the clones all slashed. Adam leapt away, avoiding the strike before sprinting forward, the clones moving to meet him as Wulfe pushed himself up, roaring, hair and fir standing on end. Adam sliced his way through the clones with ease and reached the far side as Wulfe leapt at him, roaring.

* * *

Fox watched the dragon fly toward the tower as he ran up it. Just as the dragon began to hover beside Ozpin's office, Fox reached it, slashing at it, his sword sparking against its black scales, but drove it off before slashing his way through the window. Cinder glared at him as he stood, walking to the right around the office, getting out from behind Ozpin's desk before stopping.

"You just don't give up, do you?" Cinder asked.

"You and I have a score to settle," Fox said. "You killed my friend, so I'm going to obliterate you."

"You couldn't beat me before," Cinder said. "What makes you think you can do it this time?"

Fox stared at her before sighing, ripping his shirt off to fully expose the burn she had given him before, muscle and bone new exposed in some places. "It's funny. The closer I get to death, the more I seem to remember about myself. My past, my semblance, my sins. But the important part is, I gain control."

His body began to glow white, the burn regenerating before glowing white energy formed over his body like a second skin, flowing from the backs of his ankles and elbows like flames, extending into claws on his fingers, and making his turquoise irises glow. Cinder growled in anger as her hand snapped up, fireballs beginning to fly from her hand at him, only for him to duck and dodge past them, getting up close and slashing her, his energy covering his sword too. She deflected it with her hand, flames coating her hand, before she slammed a punch into his gut. He lifted off the ground before she blasted him with a stream of flames closer to a beam than actual flames. He flew backward, blasting into the wall before falling to the ground and pushing himself up. She fired another, stronger one and he stepped forward, gripping his sword with both hands and slashing. The blade met the beam and exploded, demolishing the office and everything above it, the concussion throwing the dragon, which had been about to destroy the office himself, away.

As Fox pushed himself up, Cinder grabbed him by the throat and spun, hurling him away from herself and launching a volley of fireballs to keep him busy. Fox flipped, slamming his hands down and skidding to a stop before darting to the side on all fours, the fireballs all missing. Then, Fox leapt over a piece of metal, grabbing the end of it and flipping, slamming it down on top of Cinder. Cinder coughed up blood before shrieking in rage, sending the piece of metal spinning into the sky. Just as she did, Fox crashed down on her instead, fist first. She slammed a fist coated in fire into his face, the flames exploding and launching him away. Fox crashed down on the far side of the office, slowly pushing himself up as Cinder floated into the air, glaring at him.

"That's enough," Cinder snarled. "I've grown tired of this."

"I was about to say the same thing," Fox said, drawing his remaining sword, the gems on it glowing as his energy layer turned green.

He sprinted at Cinder, moving faster now, and slashed at her as he jumped over her. She spun, a sword forming and blocking his before she shot forward, slashing, only for him to block it. She formed another sword and he shoved the first away, blocking that one and using it to support himself as he flipped into the air, slamming a kick into the top of her shoulder and blasted her into the floor. He landed and leapt backward as Cinder screamed in rage, standing and sending hundreds of fireballs into the air. Fox took off at a sprint, the fireballs beginning to explode in a trail behind him as he ran around the office before Cinder shouted again, spinning and making the remaining fireballs explode around the entire office all at once. As the smoke cleared, Fox was holding a hand up, a spherical barrier having formed around him. He smirked, letting the barrier fade and streaking forward. Cinder growled in rage and dodged aside from a stab from Fox, stabbing at him as well. He turned profile, avoiding it before jumping and slashing as he did. His sword slammed into her Aura and slammed her into the ground before he landed and turned back to her, instantly shoving a hand forward and firing a beam of green energy as big around as his arm, his attack meeting a much, much larger torrent of flames as big around as an Ursa Major.

For a moment, his attack held hers back. Then, his failed and the flames hit him, exploding. Fox flipped into the air, his energy layer and Aura both fading. As he began to fall, he switched to a bow, pulling it back and firing at Cinder, only for her to swipe a hand, the arrow bursting against an invisible barrier, sending multiple fire-colored rings shooting over it. Then, Fox crashed back down, groaning.

"Not bad," Cinder said. "You actually might have beaten me before, had you been able to remember how to use your own semblance. This time, however, _I_ win."

Fox was slowly pushing himself up, and managed to get to his knees only for her hands to grab the sides of his head painfully tight, her face appearing in front of his.

"I'm going to cook you brain until you beg me to make you reincarnate, and then I'm going to lobotomize you and leave you for dead!" Cinder shouted, agony erupting in Fox's head instantly.

He heard himself screaming as though from far away. The agony was making it impossible to think through. He felt his semblance struggling to protect his brain on base instinct but it was failing. Then, there was a blinding light and the pain was gone. Slowly, his sight began to return. There were lights now. A lot of them. His vision was still too blurred to make out any constellations, and it looked like they were spinning, but he was able to tell that he was staring at the stars. Muffled sounds began to reach his ears. They were in a sort of chaotic order, though. He struggled to think but it made his head sear with pain. Voices. He was pretty sure that was what he was hearing. He tried to focus but his head seared with pain again and he gave up. Slowly, his hearing began to recover, his vision finally sharpening enough for him to see details, like the smoke in the air, still lit by fires. But why were there fires? Shouldn't people be trying to put them out? That was what people did with fires, right? His head seared, nearly taking his sight again. His hearing finally cleared up, however.

"-happened to him?" a feminine voice was asking.

"Looks like she tried to cook his brain," a male one responded.

"Is he okay?" another male asked.

"No way to know," the first male voice said.

A face appeared over him, suddenly. A girl. She was pale, and had on white hair to match her white clothes. Pretty.

"Fox, are you okay?" the girl asked. "Say something."

Fox's brow furrowed. "Who...are you?"

Several people gasped around him and Fox slowly began to look around, struggling to ignore the pain in his entire body. There were others around them. A blonde boy with his shirt open and a monkey tail, a blue-haired boy beside him, a brunette girl with rabbit ears, a guy that smelled like a brewery with bad hair, a blonde girl with her arm missing just above the elbow. So many people, all staring at him, except the blonde missing her arm, and none of the faces looked familiar. Finally, his eyes settled on a pair of girls kneeling beside the injured blonde. One had a green shirt and skirt with green hair that was matted with blood near the middle, and the other had black hair with a pair of cat ears, a black vest over a white shirt, white shorts, and bandages around her lower abdomen. He stared at them, hearing others speaking to him but not processing what they were saying. He tried to pry his eyes away from the two women, both of whom were crying, but he couldn't. Pain seared through his head, Fox groaning and grabbing the sides of his head, squeezing his eyes closed and curling up slightly, teeth clenched. Several of the people around him asked what was wrong, but he ignored them. He looked back up at the girls as the barest flicker of memory began to register in his brain.

"Blake," Fox croaked, throat suddenly painfully dry, making it hard to speak. "Ava."

Both looked up at him, fresh tears running down their face, before they smiled. Fox looked around slowly, more names drifting into his mind, attaching themselves to the other faces around him. Weiss, Yang, Sun, Neptune, Velvet, Ren, Nora, Pyrrha, Jaune, Ruby, Penny, Qrow. He stared at Ruby, who was unconscious.

"What...happened..." He gestured at Ruby but Qrow shook his head.

"Long story," Qrow said. "For now, I'll just say she'll be okay."

He nodded, looking to Pyrrha and Jaune, seeing their arms were around each other. He frowned. He could have sworn Jaune was usually trying to get Weiss to like him. No, that was a while ago. His head throbbed and he grit his teeth. He was still in so much pain. He looked up at Sun, who looked drained, both physically and emotionally.

"Don't look...so...bummed...Sun," Fox croaked. "Can't just...make it...easy."

Sun snorted, shaking his head. "Nothing you do is ever easy."

Fox slowly pushed himself up, shuffling over to Blake and Ava, collapsing back to his knees in front of them, both hugging him instantly. "I think...I owe...an...apology. But...I can't...remember why."

"You don't?" Blake asked. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Fox tried to concentrate but his head throbbed and he winced. "It hurts...to try. It's all...confused. Dance? Or maybe...breach...in the courtyard."

"You don't remember the tournament?" Ava asked.

Fox blinked, not trying to remember, just letting his brain stew for a moment before memories began to surface slowly. He nodded. "I...remember...Pyrrha and...Penny. But...Penny's fine now."

"You saved her," Pyrrha said. "You don't remember anything after?"

He stared at her before shaking his head.

"We'll explain it to him later," Qrow said. "Now that we know he's going to be okay, it's our turn to leave."

The others nodded and Blake and Ava helped Fox to his feet, all of them heading into an airship nearby. Once they were all in, Jaune and Ren having brought Yang and Qrow having brought Ruby, the ship took off, heading for the safe area. Once there, they all left the ship in the same fashion as they entered it and medics rushed over to check on them. Most of them had gotten some nasty bumps and bruises, but they would all be fine. Yang's wound wasn't life-threatening, but Fox doubted she'd be able to adjust to having only one arm very easily. Ruby was completely uninjured, but for some reason wouldn't wake up. And then, there was him. The medics said that there was some brain damage, which was the cause of the pain and memory problems, but that all of the external burns from Cinder's attack had healed.

"Is he going to be okay?" Blake asked the medic examining Fox.

"He'll be fine," the medic said. "His aura is unusually strong, and it's already healing his brain. He'll likely be completely healed inside of a month."

"Thank you," Blake said.

The medic walked away and Fox sighed, wincing as his head throbbed. Blake gently guided him backward, making him lay down before sitting on her knees beside him, slipping her hand into his.

"I'm a little disappointed you forgot everything after the tournament," Blake said. "From what I was able to get Pyrrha to say, Cinder killed Ozpin, then you stopped her from going to fight Cinder after Pyrrha sent Jaune away from the tower in a locker. Then you fought Cinder yourself. Apparently you did pretty well, since she was angry enough to try to cook your brain, rather than just killing you. Whatever you did in that fight, you must have been amazing."

"Probably," Fox smiled. "According to Ozpin, I'm barely able to use my semblance to fifty percent of my ability with it. And the closer I come to death, the more of my past lives I remember."

"You've been close to death before?" Blake asked.

"Once," Fox nodded. "I was fighting a Deathstalker and a King Taijitu. Both of them are venomous, and I got a dose of both. It's how I remembered how to defy gravity."

Blake nodded, looking around, stopping on Yang.

"Go," Fox said. "I'll be fine. Go make sure she's alright."

Blake nodded, squeezing his hand for a moment before walking away. After a moment, Sun and Ava sat beside him.

"Hey Sun," Fox smiled. "What's wrong?"

"You never make anything easy," Sun said. "Bad enough you were always with her so I couldn't get her alone. Now you had to go and try to sacrifice yourself. Christ, at this rate she'll be begging you to marry her before I can even ask her on a real date."

Fox's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to remember what he had done, only for pain to flood his head, making him cringe.

"Sorry," Sun said. "I guess it's better to avoid recent subjects. So, what do you think we'll do now?"

"I'm not sure," Fox said. "Probably go to a different school." He looked up at Ava, who smiled down at him. "Are you okay?"

Ava nodded. "I'm fine. You're the one who was hurt."

"Where are Wulfe and Leon?" Fox asked, Ava's face falling.

"Leon turned against us," Ava said. "Wulfe fought him alone and sent me to the others. But...neither of them have been seen since."

Fox nodded, sighing. "I see. Wulfe and Leon were always a pretty even match."

Ava nodded. "I'm worried."

"I'm sure Wulfe is fine," Fox assured her, hating how much he felt like it was a lie. "Wulfe would do anything to get back to you."

He saw something flit behind Ava's eyes but didn't ask about it. He could tell that she was barely holding it together already. He looked toward Yang in time to see Blake disappear into the shadows on the far side of the city square. He looked to Sun, who was also staring.

"Go," Fox said. "She needs a friend right now."

"What about you?" Sun asked.

"I have plenty of friends right now," Fox said.

"That's not what I-"

"Sun," Fox said. "You wanted alone time with Blake. Go. There's someone I need to go and see, and Blake will most definitely _not_ want to be there. At least, for now."

Sun nodded, standing. "I'll let you know where we're going when I find out."

Fox nodded and Sun turned, running away. Fox sighed, closing his eyes. "Wake me up when we know what we're doing next."

Ava nodded and Fox allowed himself to finally drift off into sleep.

* * *

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	17. Chapter 17

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Episode

Fox watched as Ava payed the inn keeper. They had been on the road for weeks. After about three days of recovery, Qrow had messaged Fox that Cinder had headed for Haven. And once he knew that, Fox decided he had recovered enough. No memories had returned, but that didn't matter. He needed to find and kill Cinder. And so, they had been traveling to try and remove Cinder's main combat force. The White Fang.

"Are you sure about this?" Ava asked.

"No," Fox said. "But we don't have much choice. We have to stop the White Fang from working with Cinder."

"But, your plan..." Ava sighed. "How do you know it'll work? What if the White Fang don't follow? What if they turn on us?"

"Then we kill them," Fox shrugged. "It was fun playing the good kid with Ozpin, but it's time to ditch the practice weapons again. If the White Fang tries to stop us, we kill them. Any that fight us."

Ava nodded as they left the town, starting through the woods, both pulling out their weapons and scanning for grimm. "Okay. Any word from Sun?"

"Nothing yet," Fox said. "I'm not overly worried. Sun will take care of Blake."

"And try to steal her," Ava said.

Fox remained silent for a while, remembering Blake's words about having trouble deciding between them. "It's not stealing."

Ava stared at him a moment before looking to the front as a pair of Ursa Majors charged out of the trees. She opened her briefcase into a massive axe and split both in half. She collapsed it and took a step forward only for a Beowolf to skid out of the trees before slowing to a stop, beginning to dissolve. As it finished fading, Fox and Ava stared at the person left lying on the ground in shock. It was Wulfe. Shirtless, covered in gashes, and with his pants in tatters, but it was still Wulfe. Fox and Ava sprinted forward, dropping to their knees beside him, Ava hugging him and beginning to cry in relief and joy, as he groaned, opening his eyes.

"Found you," Wulfe groaned.

"Are you alright?" Fox asked. "Where have you been Wulfe?"

"Wulfe?" Wulfe repeated, brow furrowing before he shook his head. "I'm not Wulfe. Wulfe was killed by Adam. He fought for as long as he could. He used dozens of clones. But in the end, Adam killed him. I'm just the only clone to survive. Wulfe made me hide while he fought Adam."

"Your semblance is to create living, breathing clones," Fox said. "You may not be the _original_ Wulfe, but you _are_ Wulfe. You have all of his memories, right?"

Wulfe nodded.

"And you can use his semblance?" Fox asked.

Wulfe nodded again.

"Then you're Wulfe," Fox said. "And you have no idea how glad we are to see you."

Wulfe nodded, smiling and wrapping his arms around Ava, squeezing her for a moment before standing and looking around. "Where are we going?"

"To HQ," Fox said.

"We'll be killed on sight," Wulfe said. "And there's a very high chance that Adam is there."

"Most likely," Fox nodded. "But if he is, that means that you get a rematch, this time with backup, and I can repay him for taking Yang's arm."

"Yang lost her arm?" Wulfe asked.

"You've missed quite a lot," Fox said. "Come on. We'll fill you in on the way."

* * *

Fox pushed the bushes aside, allowing Ava and Wulfe to pass. He stepped through after them and they all stopped, staring at the village before them. It was small. Barely bigger than the last they had passed through, which had been little more than ten buildings. This one looked to have fifteen. They walked into it in silence, all of them scanning for grimm. Their journey so far had been quiet. They were attacked maybe twenty times a day, if that. Given how long they travelled, that really was nothing. They were covering ground at a surprising rate. Fox knew Ava and Wulfe were starting to wear down, but he wanted to take the White Fang out of play as soon as he could, assuming he could at all.

They walked to the building that had an inn sign out front and opened the door. So far, they hadn't seen anyone, and it seemed the inn was no different. They spread out, carefully searching the building, finding it was deserted. They met back up by the door and all shook their heads.

"We'll rest here for the rest of today and tonight," Fox said. "How much food do we have left?"

"Enough for the next couple days," Wulfe said. "We're still almost a month from HQ."

"I know," Fox sighed, nodding. "And we've been on the road for four already."

"Are we sure about all of this?" Wulfe asked. "The plan, going to HQ at all, letting Sun have so much time alone with Blake."

"If Sun wins Blake's heart then so be it," Fox said, opening a cabinet behind the desk and grabbing three of the room keys. "We have more important things to do, like stopping Cinder. Here." He tossed them each a key. "Tomorrow we'll decide how to ration the food."

"Fox," Ava said as he turned to walk away. "You never remembered what happened after the tournament, did you?"

"No," Fox said. "Why?"

"I don't think you need to worry about him stealing her as much as you might think," Ava said.

Fox stared at her for a moment before turning and heading upstairs to the top floor, finding his room in the furthest corner, away from all windows and entrances, then locked himself in and sat down, pulling out his scroll and staring at it. He had no messages. As always.

"Dammit Sun," Fox sighed. "You had better be good to her. It's the least you can do since I basically gave her to you."

He set his scroll aside and lay down, pulling the blankets up to his neck. It was barely past noon, but if her slept until morning, he wouldn't be hungry the rest of the day.

* * *

Fox opened his eyes, remaining silent and listening for the sound that had woken him. After a moment, his scroll vibrated and he released a breath he hadn't fully realized he was holding. He picked it up, opening it and staring. It was from Sun.

"Hey, finally got some decent signal," Sun's message read. "We took a ship to Menagerie. It's so...beautiful here. I don't know if you've been or not, but if you haven't, you should definitely stop by here. Soon. In case you don't get my point, come find us here so that Blake will finally cheer up and stop saying that you "probably hate her for abandoning you all." You're an ass for not coming after us anyway, but I can't, in good conscience, steal Blake if you're not around to defend your good name. I don't know what you're up to, but you need to hurry up and come to Menagerie. P.S. We're trying to get the faunus here to turn against the White Fang. P.P.S. You won't _believe_ how big Blake's house is."

Fox closed his scroll and rolled onto his back. The clock on his scroll had read one twenty seven am. He groaned. He wasn't going to be able to sleep again for a while. Sure enough, he lay there nearly two more hours before sleep finally returned. Except, this time, it was tainted with flashes of a burning Vale, and of Ozpin's office exploding, and Pyrrha kissing Jaune goodbye.

Fox sat up, gasping for breathe before staring down at his hands. His head was still burning from his brain being forced to reveal its damaged memories, but the pain was fading. Fox pulled his shirt off and pushed himself out of bed onto unsteady, trembling legs. He staggered to the bathroom, catching himself at the sink and staring into the mirror. He stared first at the scars across his chest. One was a burn scar reaching from the center of his torso up toward his shoulder. It wasn't a bad one, just a couple shades more red than his skin, like a spot of very light sunburn. Another scar was on the right side of his abdomen, this one a bit more jagged than the first, and also indented a bit, though closer to natural skin color. The sides of his head, however, where he should have hand-shaped burn scars courtesy of Cinder, were completely healed, and his hair had grown back already. Having two relatively minor scars from a fight with a Fall Maiden was a blessing. However, currently, Fox wasn't focused on the blessing. He was focused on the memory of being hit with a dozen lightning bolts, and the feeling of Cinder trying to roast his brain inside his own head. He stared at his reflection, watching the color drain from it rapidly as his head throbbed and more memories began to struggle to pray. Then, he fell to his knees and bent over the toilet, heaving and emptying bile into the toilet. Once the first go had been finished, he began to dry heave, wishing he had eaten before going to sleep.

More memories began to assault him, these ones from long ago. He began to dry heave even harder, his body struggling to reject whatever it thought was in his stomach as he remembered chains and blades and barbed whips. He remembered a steak knife and the worst pain he had felt up until Cinder tried to cook his brain, and even that was a close call. He remembered not being able to sit down without being in agony for a full year, and that standing up and laying on his stomach had both been no better.

He dry heaved again, struggling to inhale only begin dry heaving again. He felt panic begin to rise even faster in his stomach. His panic attack from the memories had been bad enough, but now it was keeping him from breathing. He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling for his pocket only to remember he was in his boxers, his scroll lying on the bed, well out of reach. However, just as he thought this, the door broke inward and a moment later, Ava was beside him, her arms around him speaking to him, but his brain wasn't processing it. However, her presence helped. After a few seconds, he was able to catch a breath between bouts of dry heaving and from there was able to slowly calm himself, laying on Ava's shoulder, entire body aching and feeling dead.

"What happened?" Ava asked. "It's been so long since you've had an episode."

"I remembered some of what happened at Beacon and it triggered an episode," Fox said.

"How much did you remember?" Ava asked.

"I remembered my first fight with her before she got her Maiden powers," Fox said. "And I vaguely remember stopping Pyrrha from fighting her. And I remembered her cooking my brain. That's what caused the episode."

Ava nodded. "Anything else?"

"You sound like you're fishing, Ava," Fox sighed. "I don't remember whatever it is you want me to. At least, I assume you don't, since I assume I'd know if I did."

Ava sighed, nodding. "Sorry. I'm sure it'll come to you. Hopefully just without you having another episode."

Fox nodded. "We're resting here another day. I can't travel like this."

Ava nodded and remained silent. After a couple more minutes, she helped him up so he could wash his mouth and brush his teeth in the sink, then helped him back to bed.

* * *

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	18. Chapter 18

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Coup d'Etat

Fox watched the guards as they patrolled in front of the door. They were better at their jobs than the Vale branch. Not surprising considering the difference of importance between a semi-hidden Vale hideout and the headquarters for the entire White Fang. After several minutes, he turned back to Ava and Wulfe.

"Okay," Fox said. "It's time for them to change over. Everyone ready?"

Ava and Wulfe nodded. Fox turned back to the guards, watching two more walk out, replacing the first two, who walked back into the building. Fox stepped out of the trees, walking calmly toward the pair. They turned toward him and he continued walking, ears standing tall and tail swishing behind him as he walked. However, as he got close, they pointe their spears at him and he stopped.

"You've come to the wrong place, Fox Winters," one of the guards said. "Arctic foxes are rare, which makes you easy to recognize. And there's a price on your head."

"And who put it there, I wonder?" Fox asked. "Sienna Khan? Or Adam Taurus?"

The guard glared at him through his mask's eyeholes for a moment before both stabbed at him. Fox dropped under the spears, standing and sweeping them aside before stepping forward and slamming a reverse chop into one's throat, crushing his wind pipe before spinning and drilling a fist into the other's jaw, dropping him. As soon as he was on the ground, Fox grabbed his head and twisted sharply. Then, he dragged both into the bushes where he and Wolf pulled the uniforms on over their clothes, placing handcuffs loosely on Ava's wrists and walking her into the building. As they walked, they passed several guards, all of whom flashed predatory grins at Ava, their heads following their eyes on a completely undisguised trail up her body. Each time they did, Fox and Wulfe both fought the urge to kill the person for it. Finally, they reached Sienna's throne room and Fox closed the door, Ava slipping her cuffs and tossing them away as Fox and Wulfe both tossed their masks over their shoulders, pulling their hoods down and kneeling before Sienna's throne, her bodyguards all preparing to attack only for Sienna to calmly wave them off.

"Fox, Wulfe, Ava," Sienna said. "I assume you killed the guards whose uniforms you took."

"They were loyal to Adam, not you," Fox said. "Trust me, you won't miss them."

"I see," Sienna nodded. "Yes, I got your message. Explain."

Fox stood, pulling his stolen uniform off and balling it up, tossing it off to the side as he explained about the truth of the fall of beacon, and about how he believed Adam was planning a coup. Sienna said she was due to meet with Adam in five minutes, and invited them to meet with him with her. Fox nodded and Wulfe also shed his stolen uniform, the three of them walking up tot he throne, Sienna meeting Fox with a hug.

"I'm glad you're safe," Sienna smiled. "I'd hate for anything to happen to my brother."

Fox chuckled, leaning against the wall behind her throne. "You practically raised me, Sienna. You're closer to my mother."

"Except I'm only a year older," Sienna snorted. "No, older sister works just fine for me. So, you and Ava ever hook up?"

"No," Ava said. "He's in love with a black cat."

"Good choice," Sienna smiled, her tiger ears tilting backward. "Still, I _was_ always hoping you would finally fall for Ava. After all, she's the only bird faunus I've ever met, and I kind of want to know what happens when you mix arctic fox with bird."

"Sienna!" Fox and Ava both groaned, blushing. "Jeez. Only you would be thinking about someone _else_ having kids."

Sienna shrugged as the door opened and Adam stepped in before freezing, staring at Wulfe, then Fox. After a moment, he grinned widely, his eyes returning to Wulfe.

"You're more crafty than I thought, Wulfe," Adam said. "Sure you're not part fox?"

Wulfe growled at him, hair beginning to stand on end, only for Ava to rest a hand on his shoulder, calming him. Adam walked forward, kneeling before Sienna.

"Forgive me," Adam said. "I didn't realize we welcomed traitors."

"They're friends of mine," Sienna said. "I'll welcome them anywhere I please. Now, Adam, we need to discuss your actions of late, as well as your plans for the near future. This is your one and only warning. I'm not going to repeat myself. So I want you to listen when I tell you that the White Fang will _not_ attack Haven Academy."

"High Leader Khan, I am begging you," Adam said.

"You should beg for forgiveness and nothing else!" Sienna snapped. "The assault you led on Beacon was not the great victory you clearly think it was, and you should be grateful your punishment wasn't more severe. You are a symbol for many in our organization, but that doesn't make you infallible."

"I was merely trying to follow your example, High Leader," Adam lied, Fox's hand already resting on his sword's hilt, seeing Wulfe's thumbs circling the buttons to extend his claws.

"And what example might that be?" Sienna asked.

"Strength," Adam said. "Strength and unwavering conviction. The humans have seen that strength now."

Sienna sighed. "I was one of the first to suggest violence where violence was necessary. Peace bread complacency and acceptance of our place in the world. I will not allow humanity to push us down without pushing them back. But the destruction of the Huntsmen academies crosses a line! The loss of the CCT has brought global communications to a crawl, and the White Fang is more of a target now than ever before! You have _justified_ humanity's campaign against us, and for what? Empty promises from a group of humans? Humans we still know nothing about, and come and go as they please!"

Fox tensed immensely, hair starting to stand a little higher, knuckles turning white. If Cinder showed up, they were finished. But who were the others Sienna was talking about? Mercury and Emerald? Somehow it didn't feel quite right.

"These are not examples of strength, Adam," Sienna continued. "They are examples of your talents being diminished by shortsightedness!"

"If you want to know more about the humans, then why not talk to one of them yourself?" Adam asked, Fox drawing his weapon, extending his sword blade and snarling.

"You brought the bitch here!?" Fox snarled.

"Bitch?" Adam asked. "No. I don't trust that bitch, or her two brats. I brought someone else." He stood and turned toward the door. "Hazel!"

The door swung open and a man with a powerful build, a green jacket with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, brown hair and beard, and black pants strode in.

"Took you long enough," Hazel rumbled, voice as deep as his appearance would suggest, kneeling beside Adam.

"What is this!?" Sienna demanded, her guards aiming their spears at Adam and Hazel now, Wulfe and Ava having drawn their weapons as well, Ava with hers as a scythe with a blade on each end, facing opposite directions, holding the weapon behind her.

"Apologies," Hazel said. "I don't aim to cause any trouble."

"You've brought a human to this location!?" Sienna seethed, glaring at Adam as Fox and Ava stepped up beside Sienna, getting between her and her guards.

"You should hear what he has to say," Adam said.

"This is grounds for execution!" Sienna spat.

"Allow me," Fox snarled. "Please allow me."

"Ma'am...please," Hazel said. "Nobody needs to die today. I'm just asking for a moment of your time."

"The longer you stay here, the less of a chance you have of leaving alive," Sienna warned.

"I'll take those chances, if you don't mind," Hazel said.

Sienna watched him for a moment before sitting down, her guards relaxing but Fox and the others doing no such thing, remaining where they were.

"You don't like me," Hazel began, standing. "You have no reason to like me. But you don't have to like me to get the results you want."

"I'm starting to doubt either of you fully comprehend what it _is_ that I want!" Sienna growled. "I want humanity to fear the faunus, to know that we demand respect! I do _not_ want to start a war with the humans that we cannot win!"

" _That's_ where you're wrong," Adam said, taking a step forward, only to stop as Fox leveled an arrow at him. "We _can_ win a war against the humans. Not only because we have the support of Hazel's master, but because the faunus are the dominant species on this planet." He took another step forward.

"I swear to God, Adam, if you take one more fucking step I'm going to castrate you with this arrow!" Fox snarled. "And what master do you serve, Hazel?"

"Salem," Hazel said, the name striking at a memory from somewhere in Fox's mind, though he couldn't place it.

"We're better than humans," Adam continued, Sienna pulling Fox's arm down as Adam continued forward, Fox returning his weapon to its sword form, leveling it at Adam again. "We have everything humans have and more. Humans shouldn't just _fear_ the faunus, they should _serve_ the faunus."

"I've had enough of this conversation for tonight," Sienna sighed tiredly. "Guards, take them away."

No one moved.

"I said, take them away!" Sienna repeated.

Fox sighed. And so it began.

"I will admit Sienna," Adam said. "You were right about my popularity. My followers at Vale already see me as the true High Leader. And many here in Mistral feel the same."

Sienna stood as the doors opened, four more White Fang members running in, two with spears and two with machine guns.

"What are you doing?" Hazel asked.

"What's right for the Faunus," Adam said. "From this day forward, _I_ will be the one to lead the White Fang."

Four more guards with guns ran into the room, from the sides this time, and the bodyguards turned their spears toward Sienna. However, just as they did, it became chaos. Fox slashed a spear aside, grabbing it and yanking it from the guard's hands, removing the guard's head with his sword as he did. Then, he pressed the button on the side of the spear as he aimed it at one of the ones with a gun, a laser shooting out of the blade and blasting him in the face, the same with the next one, and the one after. As he did, Ava did the same on the other side, using a spear she, too, had stolen. Once the last of the gun-wielders were dead, Fox hurled the spear across the room tot he door and impaled one of the two remaining guards at the door, Ava's stolen spear mirroring his. The last two body guards lunged at them, but Fox and Ava easily killed them. Fox turned to Adam, finding him fighting with Wulfe, who had blocked Adam's attempt to stab Sienna. Fox turned instead to Hazel as Ava went to help Wulfe.

"Will you fight us?" Fox asked.

Hazel regarded him in silence for several moments before pulling a pair of yellow lightning Dust crystals out of his coat in each hand.

"No," Hazel said, driving the crystals into his forearms, roaring as electric Dust energy instantly began to surge through his body, his eyes glowing and his voice distorted when he spoke again. "I'll kill you!"

He shot forward, punching at Fox, only for Fox to flip over the punch, Sienna in his arms. As Fox landed, he caught the sword he had thrown before he jumped and spun, slashing at Hazel. The edge of his sword crashed into Hazel's fist and halted. Then, Hazel's other fist crashed into Fox, breaking two ribs and hurling him backward. Fox crashed down hard and rolled in a backward somersault, ending up on his feet again and streaking forward, slashing a stab from Adam away from Ava then ducking, allowing her to flip over him and slash at him with her broadsword. Adam flipped out of the way, landing on his feet in time to use his sword to block Wulfe's laser, the explosion sending him crashing into Hazel.

"Run now!" Fox shouted, driving his sword into the ground.

Instantly, he spiked his semblance, the ground exploding apart, throwing Adam and Hazel away. Fox sprinted after Sienna and the others, getting outside just as Ava kicked her shoes off, and bent forward, a pair of massive green wings bursting out of her back through her shirt, tearing a pair of gaping holes in the shirt. Then, she grabbed Sienna in her arms, flapping her wings and rising into the air, her feet grabbing one of Fox and Wulfe's arms respectively before she began to beat her wings quickly, leaving the base behind before anyone could shoot at her.

"Where to?" Ava shouted over the wind.

"Menagerie!" Fox shouted back. "As fast as you can get us there!"

Ava nodded, flapping harder, the four of them streaking through the air.

* * *

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	19. Chapter 19

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Reunion

Fox glanced up at Ava. Sweat was pouring down her face and her grip on him, Sienna, and Wulfe had slackened to the point that they were more holding onto her, rather than the other way around.

"How much longer?" Fox asked.

"We're still a couple hours away!" Ava called back.

"No, how much longer can you keep flying like this?" Fox asked. "You've been going for days."

Ava shook her head. "I'll be okay flying the rest of the way."

Fox looked down, seeing a ship heading the same direction as them. "Land on that ship below us!"

Ava looked down and nodded. A few moments later, they were standing on the back of the ship, Ava having come in low to try to draw as little attention as possible. Once they had landed, Ava collapsed against Wulfe, who knelt, slipping her shoes onto her feet for her, then stood, picking Ava up.

"I'll go and let the captain know we're here," Fox said. "If he's heading to Menagerie, maybe we'll be able to catch a ride the rest of the way. If not, at the very least I'll make sure we can rest for a few hours."

Ava nodded and Fox left to the bridge with Sienna. As they stepped into it, the captain, a man with a messy white beard, turned to them, smiling.

"Well well, it's been a while since I've seen a white fox," the captain said. "Glad to have you aboard."

"You don't care that I'm a faunus?" Fox asked.

"Care that you're a faunus?" the captain snorted before laughing. "My boy, I'm married to a faunus. A rabbit named Angela. My boy, I don't care if you've got a tail, ears, horns, or a duck bill. So long as you're a good person, that's enough for me. Some humans may hate faunus, but a lot of us just see you as other people."

Fox smiled, nodding. "Where's the ship heading?"

"Menagerie," the captain said. "We should be there a little after sunset."

"I see," Fox nodded. "So, us and our two other friends...didn't exactly...buy passage on the ship."

The captain laughed. "Son, in my experience, having an arctic fox onboard is good luck. If you and your friends need a ride to Menagerie, you're welcome to it. However, I should warn you, on our last trip we had to fight a Sea Feilong grimm."

"That's alright," Fox said. "If it comes to it, we can fight off any grimm that show up."

The captain nodded and smiled. "Glad to have you onboard."

Fox nodded and he and Sienna left, finding Ava and Wulfe on the main deck. They walked over, leaning on the railing beside them and both turned to them.

"The ship will reach Menagerie a little after sundown," Fox said. "And the captain said we're welcome to ride the rest of the way there if we want."

"We probably wouldn't save any time by flying if we waited to rest," Wulfe said. "I say boat."

"I second that," Sienna said.

"I'll do whatever you want to, Fox," Ava said.

"I know," Fox sighed. "We'll ride the boat there."

The others nodded and Fox turned, leaning on back on the railing and sending a message to Sun, asking what they were doing. He wasn't expecting a message right away, but he got one before he had even put his scroll away.

"We're trying to rally the people, but the White Fang have people here," Sun's message said. "Two creeps in red robes that claim to not follow Adam and there was an assassin a few days ago, but they got away and I don't think they've been back since. Blake's safe, but still hasn't cheered up. Where are you?"

"On the way," Fox typed. "We're on a boat now. We'll be there just after sundown."

He put his scroll away when he didn't get an immediate response. "Expect trouble when we get there. The White Fang sent an assassin after Blake and Sun. They're both okay, but we have to assume Adam will send a whole lot more after us, especially Sienna."

The others nodded. They all fell silent, each absorbed in their own thoughts. The sun began to sink, and after a couple hours, it disappeared behind the horizon. Just as it did, an island came into view, a single lighthouse off to the side of a huge cluster of lights. Fox pushed off the railing, watching as the lights grew closer. Finally, the ship docked and Fox walked down the ramp, only to see people running away from the dock, over a hill in the distance. He looked to the others, who nodded, and they all ran after them, cresting the hill to see a borderline mansion near the bottom emitting smoke and flashes of light from inside.

"Twenty bucks says it's the White Fang attacking Blake and the others," Wulfe said. "Shall we?"

"Do you need to ask?" Fox asked. "When do I ever shy away from fighting the White Fang?"

"Plus Blake's in danger," Ava said. "Come on, we're wasting time."

They sprinted down the hill, rapidly passing other faunus. As they reached the house, they spread out, Ava going with Sienna and Wulfe and Fox each going their own way. Fox drew his sword and slashed his way through a wall, stepping into the room on the other side to find Blake straddling a girl about their age with spots on her shoulders and face, tan skin, and long dark red hair. A chameleon.

"Is this really what your parents would have wanted!?" Blake demanded, neither girl paying him any mind.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO! ! !" the girl shrieked, tears running out of her eyes as she gave up struggling. "I don't know what else to do."

Just then, the wall burst inward, a White Fang member bouncing across the room, a gilded dagger with a round, needle-like blade landing beside the wall. Then, a large, burly man with purple pants, black hair and beard, thick black hair on his chest and forearms, and black claws jumped through, growling before turning on Fox.

"You're the biggest panther I've ever seen," Fox said. "You must be Blake's father."

Just then, another White Fang member who wore a red cloak and had a pair of large ears on top stepped through, stabbing Blake's father in the back of his left shoulder. The man roared in pain and fell to his knees.

"Dad!" Blake shouted, the girl she had been restraining breaking free instantly and shoving her off before kicking her.

Fox spun, switching to a bow and pulling an arrow back.

"No, Fox don't!" Blake shouted.

Fox spun back to the White Fang member that had stabbed Blake's father and fired, the arrow carving a gash into the member's shoulder as the member dove aside. Fox switched back to a sword and sprinted forward, slashing at the member, only for him to block it with his dagger. As he did, the member Blake's father had thrown first sprinted at Blake's father, the two throwing several punches. Their fists met each time before they grabbed each other's hands, trying to overpower the other. This White Fang member, a wolf judging by his tail, was a bit more impressive than Fox first assumed. Fox flipped over his own opponent's dagger just as it launched a fireball, then landed behind him, driving the sword backward, through the White Fang member's torso. The white Fang member coughed up blood, stepping forward off of the blade as the other one, his brother, by the look of them, stared in horror.

"Fennec!" the other member shouted finally.

Fox grabbed Fennec by the back of his head, yanking him backward. Fennec fell to his knees and stared up at Fox in fear.

"You chose the wrong side, Fennec," Fox snarled. "Don't worry. I'll make sure your brother follows you."

Then, he drove his sword down through Fennec's face. Fennec's brother shouted in rage and despair, turning and hurling Blake's Father across the room into a support pillar for the balcony running along the wall of the room. As Fox turned to him, he saw that the wolf had gone completely feral, his teeth now completely canine and fir growing over his body. He wouldn't turn completely canine, but there was no going back from the state he was in.

He shot toward Fox, slashing at him rapidly, Fox blocking the claws with his sword, but only barely able to keep up. He backpedalled rapidly as the White Fang member attacked him, until Sun crashed into the man from the side, feet first, hurling him away. Fox sighed, readying himself for another assault as Sun did the same, bo staff in-hand.

"What happened to Corsac?" Sun asked as the man stood, shaking his head.

"If this is Corsac, I killed his brother and he's pissed," Fox said.

Corsac shot forward, slashing at Fox, only for Fox to block the blow, Sun slamming his bo staff into Corsac's jaw and hurling him backward. As Corsac flipped, Blake shot at him, grazing his shoulder. Corsac turned on her instantly, streaking forward. Before he could reach her, the girl Blake had been restraining earlier stepped into the way, slamming her frozen whip into the side of his head. He staggered to the side a single step before spinning and slashing her across the stomach, hurling her across the room into the pillar Blake's father had weakened, shattering it. Instantly, the balcony above her began to fall, only for Blake's father, who had just managed to get his feet under him again from slamming his head into the pillar, to catch the massive chunk of wood, barely holding it back.

"Sun, help him!" Fox shouted, hurling his sword at Corsac, making him leap away from Blake just before he could land a hit.

Blake caught the sword with the strap of her own, swinging it around herself to slash at Corsac with it before throwing it back to Fox, who caught it in time to block Corsac's claws. As they both struggled to fend off Corsac, Sun had three glowing gold replicas helping Blake's father hold up the balcony chunk. The girl was unconscious, but after a moment, Corsac planted a kick in Fox's gut, hurling him under the balcony chunk as well. Corsac turned away from Blake instantly, seeing a golden opportunity, even through his rage. He charged at Blake's father and Fox hurled the small girl out of the way of the debris then tackled Blake's father just as Corsac passed, slashing. Corsac's claws ripped through Fox's aura, and his side, and Fox shouted in pain, crashing to the ground away from the debris just as the debris crashed down on Corsac, crushing him. Fox groaned, holding a hand to his side as Blake sprinted over, dropping to her knees beside him.

"Fox!" Blake gasped.

"I'll be...alright," Fox said, gritting his teeth against the pain. "It's just a flesh wound. And a nerve cluster. My semblance can handle it easy."

He focused, his wound glowing white for a moment before shrinking out of existence, leaving four long pale scars reaching from his hip straight up his ribs, ending just shy of his armpit. He sighed as it finished sealing and sat up, Blake holding out his sword, collapsed into its handle. He took it, putting it away, and stood, Blake hugging him instantly.

"I'm sorry," Blake said. "I'm so sorry. I should have never left."

"It's alright, Blake," Fox smiled. "I was never mad at you."

"You should have been!" Blake said. "You had every right to."

Fox heard something groaning above them and looked up, seeing the fire consuming the upper level was weakening the building, threatening to make it collapse. Fox freed himself from Blake, picking up one of the daggers Fennec and Corsac had been using and switching it to its wind Dust mode, sending a tornado into the flames and blowing them out. Then, he tossed the dagger aside.

"Come on," Fox said. "We should get out, in case the house decides to finish us."

Blake's father nodded, just as a door off to the side opened and a black cat faunus that Fox assumed was Blake's mother walked in, followed by Ava, Wulfe, and Sienna, Wulfe carrying a bat faunus over his shoulder, hogtied.

"Sienna?" Blake's father asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello Ghira," Sienna said. "Fox and his friends saved me from Adam. I came here to help them save their friend, and all of you, it would seem."

"Sienna," Fox said. "You're not the leader anymore."

"No, Adam is, currently," Sienna said. "But I'll fix that soon."

"That's not what I meant," Fox said. "You're not going to be the leader again after we dethrone Adam. The White Fang is finished being violent. You wanted the world to fear the White Fang, and after the Fall of Beacon, they do. You wanted violence to be used where necessary, and thanks to Adam, it was used where necessary, and also where not. The world doesn't _respect_ Faunus because they fear them, they _hate_ them for it. If you want Faunus to be equals, you can't do it by being violent any longer. I know you were never able to accept a peaceful approach, but that's exactly what the Faunus need if they intend to be equals with the humans. The White Fang is seen as a terrorist group, and as a symbol of violence. The faunus, as a race, need to unite as a _peaceful_ symbol. One that is willing to give aid for the sake of helping others alone, and one that doesn't _expect_ , or _demand_ , to be rewarded for it. One that just does it for the _sake_ of doing it. And because you can't do that, you can't be the leader anymore."

"Who then?" Sienna asked.

"I will, if I have to," Fox said. "I'm known by the entirety of the White Fang, I'm powerful enough to be able to keep people like Adam in line, and I can see the difference between what _needs_ to be done, and what we _want_ to be done."

"The White Fang will never follow you," Sienna said. "You're a wanted traitor."

"I know," Fox nodded. "And that problem will be dealt with when it arrises."

"We have another solution," Blake said. "We're going to start a new group to represent the faunus. One that does what Fox said. And my family is going to lead it, like we used to lead the White Fang.

Fox watched her for a moment before nodding, smiling. "That's an excellent idea."

Blake smiled and nodded. Then, she sighed. "We should go make sure everyone knows we're okay, and also what actually happened."

Fox glanced at the chameleon, who was on her knees, silent and on the verge of tears. "What about her?"

Blake stared at her for several moments. "She's my friend."

The girl looked up at her in surprise.

"Ilia helped us fight Fennec and Corsac," Blake said. "Without her, we might not have survived."

"You...you would do that...for me?" Ilia asked, her spots turning pink.

"Of course," Blake said. "I told you, you're my friend."

Ilia began to cry and Fox smiled before turning and walking to the door, the others following, Blake bringing Ilia with her. Once outside, they found most of the people on the island had come to see what was happening, and if anyone needed help. Guards rushed forward instantly, all wearing black and white robes with yellow sashes and silver armor, and arrested the White Fang members Wulfe and the others had been fighting while Fox and his group were fighting Fennec and Corsac. As they did, Sun sat down against the wall beside the door and Fox leaned against the door on the other side. Ilia sat off to the side, as thought trying to hide, which she probably was. Finally, Blake walked forward to address the public. Ghira moved to stop her, but Blake's mother held him back.

"Humans didn't do this," Blake said, pointing at the house, part of the roof having collapsed on one side of the house and smoke billowing out of the gaping hole. "We did this. Faunus. We did this to ourselves. We're just as capable of hate and violence as the humans, but I don't think any of us would jump at the chance to point that out. So why are we letting Adam do it for us? By doing nothing and staying silent, we let others speak and act in our place. And if we're not proud of the choices they make, then we have no one to blame but ourselves. _This_ is the message that Adam Taurus will bring to the world if no one stops him. But we _can_ stop him! You have to understand that all of you are looking for simple answers to a very complicated problem! And I can't give that to you. I don't know how to make hate go away. I don't! But I know, that this kind of violence is _not_ the solution. I understand that to ask you to leave your homes and protect Haven Academy is asking you to put your lives at risk. But that's what's at stake! So I'm going, and I'll stand by myself if I have to."

"I'll stand with you!" Ilia said instantly, stepping forward, Blake turning to stare at her before smiling appreciatively. "If...If you'd have me."

Several of the people assembled began to whisper about Ilia being with the White Fang, and about her hating the Belladonnas. Blake turned fully toward her and Ilia took a step forward only for a guard to grab her arm. The moment he did, Fox's sword wrapped him on the wrist, making him snatch his arm back.

"I wouldn't," Fox said.

"Let her come," Blake said, putting an end to the inevitable argument before it could begin.

"You're just going to forgive her?" the guard demanded. "After everything she did?"

"I am," Blake nodded.

The guard turned to Ghira, who nodded. The guard released her and Ilia walked down the steps to stand beside Blake.

"What does she think she's doing?" the guard demanded.

"She's learned a lesson that evaded me until I was much older," Ghira said. "That there is strength in forgiveness."

"I'll go," one of the people before them, a powerfully built, albeit young, ram faunus, said, stepping forward.

"I'll go too!" a fish faunus said.

Suddenly, the entire crowd was volunteering to go. Fox smiled, putting his sword away. He looked to Sun and gestured for him to follow, then walked down to stand beside Blake, who smiled at him, then at Sun as Sun stepped up beside Ilia.

"You stabbed me," Sun said, pointing at Ilia.

"I-ow!" Ilia was cut off by Sun pinching her shoulder, hard.

"There," Sun smiled. "Let's just call it even."

"You're an idiot Sun," Fox sighed. "Glad to see you never change."

"Wish I could say the same to you," Sun said. "You got dark. Really dark."

Fox remained silent and forced himself to ignore Blake's worried look. After a couple more moments, Blake's mother and father stepped up beside them.

"We've got about two weeks before Adam's attack on Haven," Ghira said. "We'll need shields, training, whatever we can do to protect everyone."

"And we'll need transportation, for everyone," Blake's mother said.

"Ava and Wulfe can handle training," Fox said.

"And we happen to know a boat captain who owes us a favor," Blake said, indicating herself and Sun.

"He's probably still here," Fox said. "He's the one that gave us a ride part of the way here, too."

"Excellent," Blake nodded. "Sun, can you ask him to stay?"

Sun nodded, heading for the dock. As he did, they all began to get signatures from the volunteers, at Ghira's request. Once they had finished, a blacksmith set out to make everyone weapons and shields, and Ava and Wulfe began to teach them to fight.

* * *

Leave a review.


	20. Chapter 20

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Choices

Fox leaned on the railing of the back porch of Blake's home, where the public couldn't see him, and where he could think in peace. His hand trailed over his new scar as he stared off into space, memories finally beginning to leak into his mind, along with a searing migraine, but he ignored that. After a bit, Fox felt a hand on his shoulder and turned, finding Blake watching him worriedly.

"Hey," Fox smiled. "Hell of a night, huh?"

"Yeah," Blake nodded, leaning on the railing beside him. "Thank you for your help."

"Of course," Fox smiled. "I'll always be there if you need me."

Blake smiled slightly before it fell. "You almost weren't."

He knew what she meant. When he had fought Cinder. He had almost died, and now that he remembered, he felt more guilty for it than he had expected. He didn't regret it, and he would never change what he had done, but he felt guilty all the same.

"I'm sorry," Fox said. "If there had been any other way, I would have taken that route. But no one else stood a chance against her."

"You remember?" Blake asked.

"Yes," Fox said. "My injury allowed my memories to finally come back."

"Was it really that bad?" Blake asked.

"Life-threatening, no," Fox said. "Painful, yes. And I guess the pain broke whatever block was holding the memories back."

"I see," Blake nodded.

"So, are you and Sun..." Fox trailed off but Blake shook her head.

"No," Blake said. "I like him, a lot, but...I don't think I love him."

"You don't think?" Fox asked.

"It's...complicated, I guess," Blake said. "I care about him, but I also care about you."

Fox smiled slightly before sighing. "I suppose you want to know about Sienna?"

"A bit, yes," Blake nodded.

"Well..." Fox sighed, deciding how to start. "You remember how I told you that my semblance regenerates me as an infant, or a toddler?"

Blake nodded.

"Well, this time, it was a toddler, and Sienna's the one that found me," Fox said. "She took care of me growing up, at least until I had learned to fight, then we sort of took care of each other. I got into fights defending her, and then she'd bail me out of the trouble. We joined the White Fang together after being driven out of a town for being faunus."

"Is that why you usually hide your ears and tail?" Blake asked, glancing at his exposed tail, something he still wasn't comfortable doing, but had no reason to not do in Menagerie.

"No," Fox sighed, leaning heavily against the railing. "That's a...worse incident."

"I'm sorry," Blake said. "You don't have to-"

"It's fine," Fox said. "I don't want to keep secrets from you."

Blake blushed a little but nodded.

"During one of our rallies, back when it was still peaceful, and we were still young, Sienna and I were kidnapped by a couple of hardcore racists," Fox said. "They were criminals, but we didn't know that. All we knew was that they were humans, and they hated faunus. I'm not sure which of us had it worse. Sienna was raped, repeatedly. Honestly, sometimes I wonder how she didn't turn out like Adam. But...they couldn't break her. Despite what they did to her, she still wanted peace and equality. It was what they did to me that changed her. It started out basic. They chained me to a wall and whipped me, cut me, burned me. Anything they could think of. But the more they tortured me, the angrier they got. The angrier they got, the more creative they got. Eventually, they took some electric clippers to my ears. It lasted hours. And then once they were done that, they took a steak knife to my tail. About the time they had finished, Leon, Wulfe, and Ava found me with some White Fang adults. They...they killed the humans, and took us to a hospital. Unfortunately, hospitals were no better than any other business, and it was hard to find one that would accept us."

A tear fell from his chin, hitting his hand. He wiped his eyes and took a shuddering breath.

"You don't have to talk about it," Blake said.

"But I need to," Fox said. "When I was in the hospital, they wouldn't give me any good painkillers because they didn't want to waste them. I couldn't sit down, I couldn't stand up, I couldn't even lay on my stomach. Everything made it hurt. My semblance managed to regrow my ears and tail, but I was afraid to let them show again. I wasn't ashamed of them, not really. Just...afraid. Still am, I suppose. Sienna...she changed after that. She hated humans. She started to think that humans wouldn't respect us unless we showed force. I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't listen. I hated her idea. I hated that we stooped to attacking humans when what we wanted was to be treated like friends and equals. I stayed because Sienna was...is...a sister to me. But no matter what I said, or what I tried, we never saw eye to eye on the matter. She was adamant that violence was necessary to keep anything like what had happened to us from happening again."

"You're a good brother for staying loyal to her despite hating everything she believes," Blake said.

"No, not everything," Fox said. "I could never hate her for it. I didn't agree with her about using violence. But I understood why she was. She understood that violence was faster, even thought it wouldn't end up the way we wanted, it would be good enough. Because it meant I wouldn't ever be tortured again. She resolved to use violence as a way to protect me. And I'm grateful that she cared that much, even if I can't be grateful about her methods."

"I see," Blake nodded. "So, after you met Ava and the others, you four formed a team?"

"Yes," Fox nodded. "It was Sienna's idea. She saw that Ava had grown a crush on me while helping with my recovery alongside Sienna, so she suggested we be a team, then Wulfe followed because he's in love with Ava, and Leon followed because we needed a fourth and he was friends with Wulfe. Once Sienna took over as leader, she put me in charge of the team and told me that I could run the team as I saw fit, meaning we didn't have to take part in anything violent. And for the longest time, we didn't. Once in a while we'd be sent after the odd Huntsman or Huntress that was threatening other groups, but never to kill, only to force them to leave us alone. That's actually how I met Ozpin. Adam warned me that he was trouble and sent me after him, Ozpin whooped my ass, and then offered me the chance for a new life at the school. So, I accepted. I let Sienna know I was joining the school and she gave me her blessing. And the rest is...well...you know."

Blake nodded. "It was kind of fun, you know? Not at the time, but in retrospect...I had Weiss, and Ruby, and Yang to hang out with and to help me fight the White Fang, and you were always following me around and helping us fight whether we wanted you there or not. And Sun was trying to flirt with me while you were trying to politely tell him to fuck off."

"Yeah, he's pretty dense," Fox smiled.

Blake laughed. "That's putting it mildly. I was always wondering which of you would finally grow enough of a pair to just accept the consequences first."

Fox's eyes widened slowly before he sighed internally. "So I guess I lost, huh?"

"What makes you say that?" Blake asked.

"It's been just the two of you for months," Fox said, Blake raising an eyebrow. "Wait, you're telling me, that in the several months he's had you all to himself, he never once had the balls to try anything?"

"He flirted constantly," Blake shrugged. "But I guess he just doesn't have any more balls than you. He's too afraid to make the first move."

Fox stared at her, unsure of exactly what she was saying. Her words at the beginning of their conversation drifted back to him, as did his "final" message to Blake before he fought Cinder. Apparently, even after everything, he still hadn't grown enough of a pair. Of course, that was only part of why he didn't just kiss her then and there.

"I see," Fox finally sighed, turning and leaning back against the railing. "He's an idiot."

"You're an idiot," Blake said.

"Yeah, I am," Fox smiled. "I'm too much of a pussy to kiss you, no matter how much I want to, because I can't make myself unless I know it's what you want."

Blake laughed, Fox staring at her. "Fox, you're even dumber than Sun. I _do_ want you to. I basically just said it. You told Pyrrha to tell me that you wished you had had the balls to kiss me and accept the consequences before you fought Cinder, well, now we're both alive, not in any immediate danger of dying, and alone. What are you waiting for?"

Fox stared at her for a second before sighing. "Ah, hell."

He leaned in, Blake meeting him halfway, wrapping her arms around his neck. Fox sighed as he felt Blake kissing him back, his hands settling on the small of her back, holding her against him. They held the kiss, not even separating to breathe, until their lungs burned and Fox thought he might actually reincarnate from forgetting to breathe. Finally, Blake pulled back, allowing her lungs to take in air, Fox doing the same. Then, before three seconds had passed, Blake had captured his lips again, the kiss more passionate this time, both pouring their hearts out into the kiss. Finally, after what could have been hours and yet not been long enough, they heard a door slide open and separated, turning to see Sun standing frozen in the door. After a moment, he sighed, chuckling and shaking his head.

"I guess that settles it, then," Sun said.

"Sun, I'm..." Blake trailed off, unsure what exactly to say.

"It's alright," Sun smiled. "I already knew. It's why I never did anything past trying to cheer you up while we were alone."

"I care about you too," Blake said.

"I know," Sun smiled. "But you love him. It's alright, Blake. Really. I'm a big boy. I'll be fine. Anyway, I came here to let you both know that dinner's ready. Oh, and Sienna and your dad are only barely keeping from arguing, mostly because your mom and Ava are keeping them calm."

"I'll handle Sienna," Fox sighed. "Thank you, Sun."

Sun nodded and turned, walking back into the house. Blake sighed, resting her head on Fox's shoulder.

"That's not how I wanted him to find out," Blake said.

"Maybe it's better this way," Fox said, wrapping his arms around Blake and swaying slightly. "Besides, if all else fails, we could probably hook him up with Velvet, or Ilia."

Blake shook her head. "Velvet's with Yatsuhashi, and Ilia's in love with me."

"Wait, what?" Fox asked looking down at her. "You've got a girlfriend?"

Blake rolled her eyes. She reached up, kissing him for several seconds before pulling back. "Come on. We should get to dinner before Dad decides you're assaulting me."

"Yeah right," Fox snorted, walking toward the door with her. "I'm not suicidal. I know you'd kill me."

Blake snorted, bumping her shoulder into his and making him laugh before he reached the door, sliding it open and allowing her in, following.

* * *

Fox rolled over, staring at the ceiling in the dark, one forearm across his forehead and the other out to his side. He sighed. He hated not being able to sleep. It had been worse the last three days since he had remembered everything that had happened during the Fall of Vale. Of course, not sleeping at night meant that he was constantly falling asleep when he was around Blake, which was about the only time that his emotions would settle and allow him to relax. Blake didn't really mind, but he could tell she was getting tired of only spending time with him when he was asleep. He'd have to remember to go to the store and get sleeping pills. At least until whatever emotional distress his memories had stirred up settled.

He sighed, sliding his arm down over his eyes. He just wanted to sleep. Really that was all he wanted right now. He could keep himself awake if he could just get a night of sleep first. Suddenly, a weight settled on his outstretched arm and he lifted his other one, staring at Blake as she smiled down at him, head propped up on her hand, her other resting over his diaphragm, about the perfect spot to knock the wind out of him with a quick shove, if she felt so inclined.

"What are you doing in here?" Fox whispered. "Your dad will kill me."

"Well, if I can't spend time with my boyfriend while he's awake during the day, then I'll just have to do it at night," Blake shrugged. "Is that a problem? I could always go bother Sun."

Fox wrapped the arm she was lying on around her, making her roll over on top of him as he did. Blake grinned down at him as her hands settled on his chest, holding herself up, his arms wrapping around her waist to hold her in place.

"Well, alright, I can stay a few minutes," Blake smiled, bending down so her lips just barely brushed his as she spoke. "Now that you've got me here, what are you going to do with me?"

"Nothing that's going to get me killed, I can promise you that," Fox whispered back.

"That's no fun," Blake whispered.

"And your father's got better hearing than either of us," Fox pointed out.

"Then I guess we should stop talking," Blake smiled, closing the distance between them.

Fox kissed her back, one hand moving to the back of her head. After several seconds, he felt her tongue trail across his bottom lip and allowed her access, his own tongue meeting hers part way, the two fighting for dominance for a moment before Fox let Blake's win. Blake smiled, running her tongue across his bottom lip again before locking her lips around it, sucking it into her mouth and dragging her tongue over it before biting down lightly and letting her teeth drag over his lip as she released it. Fox choked back a groan, his hands instinctively holding her tighter against him as he captured her own lip, returning the favor. Blake released a shaky breath as he copied her treatment, so he repeated it before she could react to the first time. As he released her lip this time, she pulled back from the kiss, breathing harder than he expected. Fox realized he was in no better condition just as Blake moved in for another kiss.

Fox had to swallow another groan as she kissed him, because the first thing she did was bite down on his lip, not hard, but enough to send a carnal excitement and a hint of pain pin-balling through his brain. After she had released his lip, she dragged her tongue across the offended area, only for his own tongue to meet hers. She moaned quietly, allowing the kiss to muffle her, the moan accompanied by a roll of her hips against his own. Fox couldn't hold back his own moan as she pressed against him, but Blake deepened the kiss in time to silence him, her tongue beginning to map out the contours of his mouth, his own tongue doing the same.

Finally, Fox's brain caught up with the situation through the haze and he pulled away, forcing her to stop. She blinked, looking down at him in confusion as he tried to catch his breath and control himself.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. "I can't."

"You don't want to?" Blake asked.

"I do," Fox said. "Desperately. But...not now. It's...not the right time. We've got the fight against Adam and the White Fang coming up, and we just got back together for the first time after Beacon, and not to mention we just got _together_ barely a week ago. I just...I want to be sure it's...not just because you're afraid of losing me."

"I'll always be afraid of losing you," Blake said. "And I'm not doing this just because of Adam. But, okay. If you want to wait until after, I'll wait. But you have to promise me that we'll all get out of this okay."

Fox smiled, kissing her. "I will never let anything happen to you."

Blake smiled, nodding and laying her head on his chest. Fox closed his eyes, listening to Blake's even breathing as she drifted off. Then, he slowly followed.

* * *

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	21. Chapter 21

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Victory

Fox leaned on the railing in silence. They'd be at Haven's dock shortly, and Adam's White Fang troops would undoubtedly be guarding it. That was fine with Fox. He was starting to get restless from being on the boat. Blake leaned on the railing beside him, remaining silent. Neither spoke. Neither had to. They were going to fight Adam and the White Fang. There was almost definitely going to be losses. But neither would let anything happen to the other.

"It's weird," Blake finally said. "Any time I imagined myself one day dealing with Adam, I never imagined I'd have anyone to help. I never imagined myself with friends."

"And now you have friends, a boyfriend who loves you, and an entire army willing to fight for you," Fox smiled. "I don't think you're very good at planning for the future."

Blake laughed. "I guess I shouldn't become a fortune teller after this then, huh?"

Fox laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, no, I doubt that would work out well. You could probably pull off Gypsy, but you'd be terrible at telling the future."

Blake smiled, leaning on his shoulder and slipping her hand into his, lacing their fingers together. "What do we do if Cinder's there?"

"Ozpin should have reincarnated by now," Fox said. "His new form won't be able to stand up to the full power of the Fall Maiden any more than his last did, probably worse, but he'll be able to back me up against her."

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm letting you anywhere near her," Blake said.

"If she's here, I'm the only one who can fight her, Blake," Fox said.

"And if she's here, we're leaving," Blake said. "Even if I have to tie you up and drag you back to the ship myself."

Fox sighed, looking up as Haven's port came into view out of the darkness. Even with night vision, they could only see so far. Just as Fox had through, the port was lined with White Fang members, some in Atlas heavy mechs. Fox drew his sword, switching it to a bow and pulling it back, the arrow pulsing.

"Honestly, I'm really glad I had my memories during my fight with Cinder," Fox said. "This'll be easy now."

He released the arrow, which sped off into the air over the port before flashing, breaking apart into dozens of smaller arrows, each about the size of a normal one, and raining down on the port, slaughtering the White Fang members and shredding the mechs. Once they ship had stopped at the port, and the ramp was lowered, Fox sprinted away from the ship, his skin crawling and his aura reacting to something. He wasn't sure exactly what, but he could sense...something.

"Fox!" Blake shouted, she and Fox's teammates running after him.

"I think we're too late!" Fox shouted. "I can...sense something. Head back to the others! Bring them with you and meet me there! I'll be fine!"

The others slowed to a stop and turned back. Fox pushed on ahead, soon leaving the trees to find a relatively small group of White Fang members, to include Adam, standing around Haven Academy, which was covered in bombs. Fox slammed his sword into the back of Adam's knees as he passed, not bothering to cut through his Aura, but making Adam fall backward and slam his head into the ground. Then, Fox sprinted forward, focusing energy to his free hand and punching the door as he reached it, sending both doors spinning through the entry hall. One slammed into Hazel as he was moving to attack a young boy with brown hair, freckles, and a white shirt with brown pants and orange suspenders who was holding Ozpin's cane. The other door missed everyone, embedding itself int he wall on the far side of the room. Fox saw Weiss on the ground with blood on her dress and with Jaune's white aura flowing over her, strengthening her own to heal her. Besides that, Yang was facing Emerald and Mercury, Ruby was barely conscious and being woken up by Qrow, and there was no sign of Cinder, whose aura he could now clearly sense.

Fox sprinted to Jaune and Weiss, Pyrrha kneeling beside Jaune as well. "Where is she?"

"Down there," Pyrrha said, looking to a hole in the floor at the base of a raised section in the back of the room where a hallway led deeper into the school. "Raven Branwen, Yang's mother, and the Spring Maiden are both with her. Trust me when I tell you, you _can't_ fight them all."

"No I can't," Fox agreed, standing and picking up his sword. "But I'm going to anyway."

"Why do you have such a vendetta against Cinder?" Pyrrha asked.

"Because she's a threat that needs to be dealt with," Fox said. "And besides that, she tried to cook my brain."

"I can go with him if it would help," a voice said off tot he side, Fox looking to find Penny kneeling there, Fox not having seen her at all as he was entering.

"Where the fuck did you come from?" Fox asked.

"The door," Penny said.

Fox sighed, shaking his head. "No. Help Yang with Mercury and Emerald. I'll deal with Cinder."

Penny nodded, turning and sending her blades at Emerald and Mercury. As she did, Fox sprinted to the hole and jumped in, driving his sword into the side and carving a spiraling gash along the inside as he descended. Finally, he dropped to the ground, looking up to find the vault was much smaller than Haven's. This one was just an underground cavern with a large tree with a rock formation in front of it. There were three glowing blue circles on the ground in a trail to the large golden door, and Raven, a woman wearing a black and blood red kimono shirt, black pants, and blood red vambraces with a katana that had an entirely Dust blade was actively fighting against Cinder, pink flames reaching out of her eyes as she did.

"Help Vernal!" Raven shouted, still slamming her sword into both of Cinder's.

Fox turned to the third woman, a girl with short brown hair, red pants with black leg sleeves from just above her knees to her ankles and with her right pant leg rolled up to above the black sleeve, a dark grey shirt, and a pair of chakrams lying beside her. She had five stab wounds in her abdomen, claw marks, and Fox jogged over, kneeling and using his semblance to amplify her aura, as Jaune was doing for Weiss, only stronger. Within moments, Vernal gasped for breath, opening her eyes and lunging for her chakrams, only for Fox to trap it to the ground with his sword.

"Attack me, and I kill you before I kill Cinder," Fox warned before standing, green energy forming over him instantly. "Cinder! We have some unfinished business to attend to!"

A moment later, Cinder crashed down on the platform they were on, glaring at him, her hair had been cut short with bangs hiding the left side of her face, except messy enough now to expose it, her left sleeve had been ripped off to reveal her arm had been amputated just below the shoulder, leaving a grimm arm with clawed fingers in its place. Additionally, there was a scar across her face, and what looked like stone encasing her face around her right eye, with a hole that she could have seen through if she hadn't lost the eye like Fox suspected she had. He certainly hadn't done this to her, so he assumed it was whatever Ruby had done to save him.

"You have an interesting semblance," Raven said, landing lightly beside him.

"Save it," Fox growled. "The way I see it, you owe me a favor for saving Vernal. You can repay me by helping me kill this bitch."

"I thought you wanted to settle the score," Raven said.

"If she dies, it's settled," Fox said. "After that, you and Vernal are going to walk out of here, leaving that vault door closed, just like it always has been."

"We'll see," Raven said, raising her sword and pointing it at Cinder.

Cinder snarled in rage, a pair of swords forming instantly before the three of them charged. Fox and Raven slashed rapidly, and to her credit, Cinder actually fended them off very well. They darted around and around the platform as they fought, cinder and Raven's blades shattering every half dozen hits, only to instantly be replaced. As they continued fighting, it became increasingly apparent that fending them off was all Cinder could do. She could take them one on one, and beat Fox, but together, they were beginning to rapidly overpower her. Finally, she flipped over Fox's sword, slashing at him only for Raven to block the blade and extend an arm, a bolt of lightning flying out of her palm and blasting Cinder away. Cinder flipped, landing on a stalactite and firing a massive beam of magic energy at them. Fox instantly, stabbed his sword in her direction, a beam of green energy exploding out of the blade and crashing into Cinder's as Fox shouted in effort. As he did, Raven charged, leaping to the stalactites and then at Cinder, forcing her to end the attack and block Raven's slash. As soon as she did, Fox sent an arrow flying at her, Cinder moving to avoid it only for it to re-amputate her arm. Cinder screamed in pain, falling to the platform and landing hard before pushing herself up.

"What happened Cinder?" Fox asked. "You were so powerful the last time we fought."

Cinder snapped, leaning backward and screaming in rage, an arm made of flame forming as the platform around her exploded, jagged chunks of stone flying at Fox, ignoring Raven altogether, and shattering against the barrier he had formed. Cinder swiped an arm and dozens of bolts of lightning appeared around her, flying at Fox, who sprinted to the side, only to be blasted int he back. He flew through the air, crashing down hard as Raven charged at Cinder, only fore her to stop, a jagged spike of stone exploding out of the ground in front of Raven, crashing into her gut and throwing her away. Then, Cinder slammed her hands into the ground, fireballs beginning to explode out of it in miniature eruptions, Fox only barely able to avoid them, only for those same fireballs to begin to rain back down all around the cavern. Fox formed himself a barrier again, but the fireballs blasted through rapidly. He reinforced his aura with his semblance, but as the attack ended, his aura faded.

Fox groaned, slowly pushing himself up, staring at Cinder, then looking toward Vernal, who Raven had shielded, causing her own aura to be weakened. "Okay, fine," Fox sighed. "You're still powerful. Now will you please just die?"

"You first!" Cinder snarled, forming a spear out of flames and hurling it at him.

He slashed upward, deflecting the spear, then a second, before sighing and placing the tip of his sword back on the ground, smiling.

"What's so funny?" Cinder snarled.

"You never learned to watch your back," Fox said.

Suddenly, Raven appeared beside Cinder, slamming her hand into Cinder's face, a flash of blue light going off and launching Cinder away, over the edge of the platform. As she began to fall, ice formed over her. Then, she disappeared into the darkness below the platform. Fox walked over to the edge, staring down into the darkness before spitting.

"Good riddance," Fox growled. "Thank you for your help. I'm heading upstairs to clean up the rest of Salem's servants. Do _not_ open that door."

Fox walked to the elevator shaft and ran up the wall using his semblance, his aura slowly beginning to regenerate as he did. Finally, he reached the top and leapt out, landing in time to see Hazel, now with lightning and fire Dust crystals both in each forearm, charge at Pyrrha, who was struggling to keep him distracted. Since he wasn't using metal, it wasn't an easy task for her.

Fox formed energy around his feet and kicked off the ground, streaking through the air as he shifted the energy to his fist, drilling it into the side of Hazel's jaw and sending him crashing out of the school through the front. Outside, the White Fang members had been captured by the faunus from Menagerie, but Adam was missing. Hazel roared, charging back in at Fox only for the boy Ozpin had regenerated into to slam his staff into Hazel's shins, tripping him. As Hazel crashed to the ground, Fox lunged, only to flip away from him as Mercury crashed down where he had been.

"You went to fight Cinder," Mercury snarled. "Where is she?"

"Dead," Fox said, everyone staring at him. "Yang, go and deal with your mother."

Yang nodded, sprinting to the shaft and dropping into it. As she did, Emerald charged at Fox screaming.

"You're lying!" Emerald shrieked.

"If she were alive, would _I_ be?" Fox asked.

Emerald froze, tripping and falling to her knees as Blake walked over to stand beside Fox. The others walked over as well, all forming a line facing Emerald, Mercury, and Hazel, the other person that had been fighting alongside those three, a lion faunus, having disappeared at some point.

"Emerald, get up, we need to go," Mercury said.

"He's lying," Emerald said, sounding like she was trying to convince herself. "Cinder will be fine."

Just then, the lift returned, Yang being the only person on it, holding a fancy golden lamp with a blue jewel as the center. Everyone stared at her before Emerald began to sob.

"Emerald, we have to go!" Mercury shouted. "Now!"

Emerald screamed in pain and rage, and suddenly the room darkened, shadows swirling together on the ground before Fox and the others. Then, they rose up, forming a massive woman in a black robe with white skin covered in glowing red cracks like a grimm's armor. She had a black jewel-like object on her forehead, white hair in several bundles sticking out of her head like the legs of a spider, and as she rose her body distorted and bent unnaturally. Dread filled Fox and he fell to his knees, staring up at the monster before them. Then, it roared, its black eyes with glowing red pupils opening, and swooped down to the floor, flying at them. Fox recoiled the moment Salem began to move, raising his arms to defend himself, the others all bracing to be hit as well, but after a moment of nothing happening, they all looked up, seeing Salem was gone.

Fox stared at the spot she had been, shaking. He knew her. He remembered her. In one of his lives, he had gotten drunk on his power and gone after her. Horrible mistake. After being brutally beaten to a bloody pulp, he had spent twenty years being tortured before finally managing to kill himself and regenerating.

"W...What was that?" Blake asked.

"An illusion," Ozpin said. "But an accurate one. That...was Salem."

Blake looked down at Fox and knelt, wrapping her arms around him, holding him against her as he trembled, eyes still wide with terror and struggling to hold the memories of being tortured, both in the life where Salem had done it and then when the racist humans had done it, at bay. As the memories slowly settled, along with his panic, he pushed himself up, looking around to see Yang walking toward them with the huge genie lamp.

"What is that?" Fox asked.

"It's a relic," Ozpin said. "One of four. I'm sorry, I have to release control."

Yang passed the lamp to Qrow and knelt beside Ruby, who was resting, Weiss sitting beside her.

"So Blake, what are you doing here?" Ruby asked.

"I...was going to ask you three the same question," Blake said.

"That's...a loooooong story," Ruby said.

"Well...I'm not going anywhere," Blake said.

"That's all that matters," Ruby said. "That we're all here together. Right?"

She and Weiss both looked to Yang, who was staring at the ground.

"Yeah," Yang finally said, smiling up at Blake.

Blake smiled in relief and Fox smiled turning to leave the building to check on the others only for his legs to give out, Fox catching himself on his hands and knees.

"Fox!" Blake gasped, kneeling beside him.

"I'm fine," Fox said, sitting up on his knees. "I'm just exhausted from fighting Cinder, again."

"What happened down there?" Yang asked.

"Your mom's the Spring Maiden, first of all," Fox said. "She helped me fight Cinder then froze her and sent her over the edge of the platform down there."

"So, we're not sure Cinder's dead?" Yang asked.

"If cinder survives being frozen and falling into a bottomless pit, she deserves to survive this fight," Fox said. "Besides that, I'm too tired to go finish her."

"We all are," Qrow said. "So, Oz, what's next?"

"He had...a message," the boy said, barely able to keep himself conscious through his own exhaustion. "We must...get the lamp...to Atlas."

Then, he keeled over, Qrow catching him and setting him down gently before looking down at the artifact. Fox looked to Penny, who stared at it then nodded.

"I'll call for a ride," Penny smiled.

"Tell them to send Ironwood himself," Qrow said. "Have them tell him it's Oz and Qrow asking."

Penny nodded and pulled out her scroll while Fox fell onto his back, groaning.

"I think I'm going to sleep right here," Fox said.

"Sounds like a plan," Jaune groaned. "Weiss, don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're okay, but you're exhausting."

They all laughed.

"Thank you, Jaune," Weiss said. "I owe you my life."

"No," Jaune said. "No. No life debts. Just let it be."

Weiss smiled and nodded. Fox looked to the door, seeing Wulfe and Ava walking over and raised a hand in greeting before letting it drop and yawning closing his eyes.

"Good night everyone," Fox said before allowing himself to black out.

* * *

Leave a review.


	22. Chapter 22

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Resting

Fox leaned on the railing in silence, staring up at the stars, mind a million miles away. It had been a little more than a day since they had stopped Cinder and the others. A little more than a day since Emerald had formed an illusion of Salem to cover their escape. A little more than a day since the memory of being Salem's prisoner had returned to Fox.

Fox sighed, eyes falling to the ground below the balcony. They were all staying in Haven Academy while they waited for Ironwood and the transports he was bringing to arrive. It would be another day at minimum, and then they would have to refuel. So far, everyone was trying their best to rest. Ozpin was still down for the count, though his host, Oscar, was able to be up and about some now. Aside from that, pretty much everyone was okay. Well, everyone except Fox.

He was sharing a room with Blake, which was good, because in the last day, the memory of Salem's torture had caused him to have three episodes, Blake having to calm him each time. If it weren't for her, he'd have died by now. And she knew it. And it terrified her. He was trying desperately to move past the memories, but something like that can't simply be ignored, or forgotten. If his hair had been anything other than white before, it would undoubtedly be white now.

"Are you okay?" Blake asked, wrapping her arms around him from behind.

"For the moment," Fox sighed. "I'm sorry. I know this isn't easy for you."

"Me?" Blake scoffed. "I don't care about how hard it is for _me_. _You're_ the one that keeps almost suffocating. I can handle the episodes as long as I don't lose you."

Fox sighed, nodding. He turned around in her arms, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her. "Thank you. For everything."

"Please stop sounding like you're saying goodbye," Blake said, resting her head on his shoulder. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't," Fox promised, squeezing her gently. "But still. I have to say it. I owe you everything."

Blake smiled, slipping a hand into his. "I love you Fox."

"I love you too," Fox smiled. "So, about this girlfriend of yours."

Blake laughed, rolling her eyes. "Really?"

"Oh yeah," Fox grinned. "Tell me about her."

"Well," Blake said, thinking. "Because she's a chameleon, she'd be able to blend in as a human if she wanted to, but she chose to live as a faunus. She was a childhood friend of mine, and for the longest time, she wanted peace, just like I did. But one day, her parents were killed in a mining accident. She started to change. She began to be pulled over to Adam's way of thinking, and she began to hate humans. To be perfectly honest, I actually didn't know how she felt about me until about a day before you showed up."

"Well, I'm glad I got there in time to steal you away from her," Fox smiled.

Blake laughed, shaking her head. "Hardly."

"Really?" Fox asked. "You don't care about her at all like that?"

Blake was silent for a few moments. "She's my friend."

"So is Sun," Fox said. "You sure there's nothing there? You're just a boring straight girl?'

Blake laughed. "Oh so _that's_ what this is about. You just want to see me making out with a girl."

Fox laughed. "Not really. I'd be too jealous for that. I just thought I recognized something in the way you looked at Ilia after that fight."

Blake sighed. "To be honest...I'm not really sure. I guess...I'd probably qualify more as _bicurious_ than _bisexual_."

"Really?" Fox asked, grinning. "So there's more than one girl?"

Blake sighed, smiling sheepishly. "Yeah. I suppose so."

"Yang, right?" Fox asked, Blake staring up at him, Fox smiling. "Thought so. So, which you bringing home first?"

Blake laughed, punching him in the shoulder and he laughed, massaging his shoulder. "You ass!"

"I'm just kidding," Fox laughed. "I know you wouldn't share."

Blake laughed, punching him again before turning and walking back to the door. She stopped, looking back at him and smirking. "You coming?"

"Depends on what we're doing," Fox said.

Blake smiled and turned, walking inside. After a couple of seconds, Fox sighed, walking in after her and closing the door. Inside the room, it was fairly small. There was one queen size bed, a mini-fridge stocked with alcohol, courtesy of Qrow, cake, soda, and a couple plates of tuna. Across the room from the bed, with the foot of the bed pointing at it there was a dresser where Blake was temporarily storing her clean clothes, Fox simply living out of a laundry bag. The bathroom had a fairly large tub, a toilet, and a sink. Aside from that, there was nothing in the room.

Fox looked around as he stepped into the room, seeing Blake standing by the door, waiting for him. He walked over, raising an eyebrow and slipping his shoes on, slipping his hand into hers as they left the room, closing the door behind them. They made their way down the hall, then took the stairs to the main room, then from there out of the school. Finally, Fox couldn't hold his curiosity any longer.

"Where are we going?" Fox asked.

"We need to get your mind off of the past," Blake said. "So we're going on a date."

"Without Sun?" Fox asked. "Oh wow, I feel honored."

Blake laughed. "It feels like forever ago that you and Sun were competing for my attention."

"It feels like forever ago that we didn't have anything more important than that to worry about," Fox said.

Blake nodded. "Amazing how much things can change so quickly."

Fox nodded his head in agreement. Barely a few months ago, his biggest concern really _had_ been trying to keep Sun from winning over Blake. Now, his biggest concern was his fear that Salem would catch him again, or, God forbid, one of his friends. God forbid it be Blake.

"Hey," Blake said, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Thoughts off of the freak. Focus on us. Remember?"

"Yeah," Fox smiled. "Thanks."

Blake smiled, wrapping her arms around him and placing a feather-light kiss on the side of his head. He smiled, kissing her before continuing to walk, Blake keeping her arms securely around him, keeping him anchored in the present. As they reached town, Blake led him to a tea shop where a deer faunus was working. She looked up at them, smiling, and began to make two cups of tea. Blake and Fox sat down at one of the empty tables and after a few moments, the girl working the shop walked out with the cups and set them on the table.

"How much?" Fox asked.

"For the two of you?" the girl smiled. "No charge. You two are the reason that we all finally took action, and you gave us all the hope to work toward peace for ourselves again."

Fox smiled and nodded, the girl walking away and Fox sighing, staring at his cup. Blake reached out, taking one of his hands in hers and he smiled, giving her hand a squeeze before picking up the tea and taking a sip. Blake did the same and smiled.

"It's really good," Fox said, Blake nodding in agreement, watching him silently. "What?"

"Nothing," Blake said smiling. "You just look really good with your ears and tail showing."

Fox smiled sheepishly, glancing back at his tail. "I guess...I just want to finally stop being afraid."

"Good," Blake smiled. "And I'll be right here beside you if you ever need me to help."

Fox smiled, nodding. He sipped at his tea again and stared up at the stars. He felt a sense of foreboding. He couldn't quite place why, but he felt like they definitely wouldn't be riding with Ironwood. He sighed, finishing his tea.

"Do you think we'll be able to ride all the way back to Atlas with Ironwood?" He asked.

Blake was silent for a few moments, sipping her tea. "No. I don't know exactly why, but I think we'll probably have to get there the hard way."

Fox nodded, staring at his empty cup, just as the deer arrived, pouring him some more. "Thank you."

The deer smiled and nodded, walking away.

Fox stared at his glass before looking up at Blake. "Salem's probably going to send everything she can after us."

"Probably," Blake nodded. "Do you think we're ready?"

"No," Fox said, shaking his head. "I think we're most definitely not ready for all Salem can bring to bear. Salem's not a natural force. I actually have a theory about what she is."

"What?" Blake asked.

"You've heard the legend of the two gods, right?" Fox asked. "The god of destruction and the god of creation?"

"They got tired of creating and destroying endlessly so they created man, who had the power to both create, and destroy to choose which god was right," Blake said.

"Something like that," Fox nodded. "Well, my theory is that Salem is the creation, wholesale, of the god of destruction. I think that she was the first grimm, and that she created the rest to hunt down and destroy man."

"Then, wouldn't the god of creation have stopped her?" Blake asked.

"No," Fox said. "Because the god of creation can only create," Fox said. "Only the god of destruction could destroy Salem. We can too, in theory, but it would definitely cost a lot of lives."

"That's true," Blake said. "You've fought her. What's she like?"

"Borderline omnipotent," Fox said. "I was at the strongest I had always been. My semblance has varying levels of strength when I regenerate. That's what determines the age at which I come back. The stronger my semblance was, the older I am when I return."

Blake nodded. "So how did the fight go?"

Fox was silent for a moment. "At first, she let me attack. I don't know if she just wanted to humor me, or she wanted to test me, or if she actually genuinely wanted to know if I was a threat. But after a string of my most powerful attacks, she just dusted herself off, and then...she demolished me. She was faster than I could react to, her blows took out my aura in one hit, which my semblance at the time was able to almost instantly regenerate, and she was able to summon grimm out of the ground to fight me if she got bored. Actually, I think she was creating them, now that I think about it."

"That would make sense," Blake nodded. "How long did the fight last? After she started to fight back, I mean."

"About two minutes," Fox said. "I didn't even get to throw an attack at her during that time, and she could have ended it instantly if she had wanted."

Blake nodded. "You said that Ozpin always retrieved your sword for you when you regenerated. How'd he get it back that time?"

"I never had it that time," Fox said. "That was the one time that I never met Ozpin. At least, after I met him the first."

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

"I'm older than Ozpin," Fox said. "Or so he says. He says that I've been in this cycle of death and reincarnation longer than he's known me."

"You don't remember?" Blake asked.

"Not even close," Fox said. "I remember bits and pieces of dozens of my lives. But I've lived for hundreds, maybe more, according to Ozpin."

Blake nodded, finishing her tea, Fox doing the same. "Come on. We should head back and get some rest. Regardless of how we travel to Atlas, we'll need to be rested."

Fox nodded in agreement and they stood, turning and heading back to the school. As they reached their room, Fox closed and locked the door, then kicked his shoes and socks off, dropping onto their bed with a groan. Blake walked over, beginning to massage his back as she sat on her knees beside him on the bed. Fox sighed as she worked out the knots that had formed in his muscles from the memory of getting beaten bloody by Salem. After a few minutes, she stopped and he sat up, sighing but smiling.

"Thanks," Fox smiled. "I needed that."

"So I felt," Blake smiled, kissing him. "Now, let's get some sleep, okay?"

Fox nodded and they both slipped under the covers, Blake curling into his chest and Fox curling his body protectively around her. As they lay there, Blake drifted off quickly, but Fox couldn't. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw images from his past lives. Enemies, friends, long past loves. He grit his teeth. Maybe losing his memories each time wasn't such a curse after all. Finally, he closed his eyes, allowing himself to be lost to the memories and the emotions that they brought with them.

* * *

Leave a review.


	23. Chapter 23

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Change of Plans

Fox walked through the cemetery in silence, stopping as he finally reached the one he was looking for and kneeling, placing the bouquet in front of it and staring at it. Beside him, Blake remained silent for several minutes as he prayed.

"So, whose grave is it?" Blake asked.

"Hope Summers," Fox said. "In one of my lives, she was my first love. But I died young, so once I had regenerated and become a serial killer, she was only a couple decades older. She tried to save me, and I killed her for it. A little while later, Ozpin managed to save me instead, but I never apologized to Hope. I never remembered having a real need to."

"So, should I be concerned by the fact that you remember some of your old girlfriends now?" Blake asked.

Fox chuckled. "No. I'm in love with you, Blake. Nothing will change that."

Blake nodded and Fox stood, slipping his hand into hers as they headed back toward the school. "So, since Ironwood never picked us up, and we've been resting for two weeks, when are we leaving?"

"That's up to Qrow and Ozpin," Fox said. "But I highly doubt we'll be waiting more than another day."

Blake nodded and fell silent as they walked along. After a bit, Fox glanced at her, seeing she was blushing slightly.

"What?" Fox asked.

Blake glanced at him before taking a breath. "So, I've been meaning to ask you something for a while. Um...Are you...I mean...have you...ever..."

Fox chuckled. "In this life, no, I haven't. In past lives, yes. Some of them, at least."

"Not all?" Blake asked.

"Well, I died as an infant once," Fox said. "At least, I think I did. Might have been a toddler. Those memories are...fuzzy. And then sometimes I had other concerns. Sometimes I spent the entire time waiting for one person. Sometimes I just never cared."

Blake nodded. After a few more minutes, Fox pushed the door to the school open and found the others all walking into the entry hall with bags of luggage. Fox raised an eyebrow.

"Penny called," Ruby said. "She said that General Ironwood can't fly here due to problems in Atlas."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Fox asked. "So, what, everyone's going?"

"Actually, we're heading back to Menagerie, at least for the time being," Ghira said.

"And I'm heading back to Vacuo with the rest of my team," Sun said.

"I suppose we should pack then," Fox said.

"Already done!" Ruby said, holding up a black and white suitcase.

Fox stared at her before taking the white one and setting it down, opening it and scanning through it. "Who packed this?"

"I did," Jaune said. "Did I miss anything?"

"Well, no," Fox said. "Buuut..." he held up a red thong using a pair of tweezers. "This is most definitely not mine."

Jaune groaned, resting his face in his hand as everyone laughed.

"Well, I gotta say Jaune," Fox smirked. "Props for having the balls to use _my_ bed, but next time, try not to hide her underwear in someone else's clothes." He flicked the underwear at Jaune, caught it, blushing as red as the thong. Fox closed his suitcase again and folded his arm over his shoulder, the suitcase behind him. "Shall we?"

Everyone decided _not_ to humiliate Jaune any further so they all left, heading to the train station. As they walked, Fox dropped back beside Pyrrha, whose face lit up cherry red instantly.

"So, _my_ bed, huh?" Fox asked.

"Please don't," Pyrrha said.

"Why mine?" Fox asked. "I gotta know. Was it just spur of the moment?"

Pyrrha's face darkened. Fox's grin widened.

"Oh my God," Fox grinned. "You didn't. Tell me you didn't use _everyone's_ bed."

Pyrrha's face darkened still.

"Damn Pyrrha," Fox laughed. "I had no idea you were into something like that. Jaune's going to burn out in a week if you keep that up."

"Please stop," Pyrrha said. "I _will_ fight you."

Fox laughed. "I'm just giving you a hard time. Out of curiosity, though, _when_ did you?"

Pyrrha slashed at him but Fox danced out of the way, grinning from ear to ear and catching back up to Blake.

"You shouldn't antagonize Pyrrha," Blake said. "She'll fight you."

"Oh I know," Fox said. "But this is just too much fun to pass up. It's like free blackmail."

Blake sighed. "I would actually rather forget someone did that in our bed and we still slept there."

Fox fell silent for a moment. "You just had to bring that up."

Blake smirked and they all fell silent for a while before reaching the train station. Team JNPR, Weiss, Yang, and Oscar all headed over to the waiting area together, Ruby dashed off to find something or other, Wulfe and Ava left to get a bite to eat before they left, and Qrow went to mail a letter to Ironwood. As Fox was walking toward the waiting area, Blake stopped. He turned, seeing her family waiting by the door.

"I'll see you over there," Fox said, kissing her before walking away.

He walked to the waiting area to find a pair of men, one with a spiked pauldron and a spiked club, and the other with a sniper rifle, talking about defending the others car better than the rest for a "generous tip." Fox laughed, strolling over with his hands behind his head, the others all looking at him.

"So, you guys are, what, official huntsmen?" Fox asked.

"That's right," the one with the club said.

"Out of where?" Fox asked.

"Vacuo," the sniper said.

"Oh I see," Fox nodded. "So, a generous tip, right?"

"That's right," the sniper smiled. "I'm glad you've got some sense. It'd be a shame if a grimm were to hurt one of your very attractive friends."

"Mhm, sense, right," Fox said. "Well, I'll give you a couple of tips. Firstly, one of you two outstanding gentlemen left the staff door to the caboose open."

The two turned before the one with the club glared at the other.

"I didn't do it," the sniper said.

"For another tip," Fox said, both of them turning back to him. "I can tell by looking at the two of you that you've probably never fought a grimm in your entire lives, which means that your status as huntsmen is most likely complete bullshit. And if it's not, you're definitely the most clueless huntsmen I've ever met. Hell, I know trainees in their first year that have more sense than you. Including one who cheated his way in using faked documents."

Jaune coughed into his hand.

"You can't talk to us like that kid!" the one with the club said. "You're talking to-"

"Official huntsmen," Qrow interrupted, holding up his scroll with his ID card. "Right. Listen, how about you buzz off before this kid mops up the floor with you both barehanded."

Both stared at him, then at Fox, who grinned and raised a hand, finger-waving. Then, both turned, grumbling to each other as they walked back to the caboose and closed the staff door before going to shake down more passengers. Fox's smile melted away instantly.

"I totally should have beaten the shit out of them," Fox said.

"When did you get so violent?" Yang asked.

"It's like a bleeding effect from some of my less pleasant past lives' memories," Fox said. "Say, Ozpin, just how many have I lived?"

"He says he thinks it's somewhere around a thousand," Oscar said. "But he's only been around for about three or four hundred."

"Jesus," Yang said. "You're both ancient!"

"You have no idea," Fox sighed. "Thousands of lives, and I still haven't figured out how to control my regeneration."

"Probably for the best," Qrow said. "Living as an eternal young adult would be worse than your current circumstances after about the first lifetime."

"True," Fox said. "Anyway, anyone know where Ava and Wulfe disappeared to?"

"I think they wanted to get something to eat," Jaune said.

"Oh really?" Fox grinned. "Maybe they'll finally work things out."

"You really don't understand women do you?" Weiss asked.

"Why?" Fox asked.

"Nevermind," Weiss said.

"Okay," Fox shrugged. "By the way, Jaune, where'd you get the fancy armor and the gold highlights for your sword and shield?"

"We found an armor shop that was willing to customize some of our gear in exchange for us taking out a Geist," Jaune said.

Fox nodded. "I like it. And Weiss, what happened to your eye?"

Weiss held a hand to the scar running down through her left eye, fortunately not damaging her eye itself, before sighing. "My family has a lot of...trials, that they forced me to undertake. One of them involved fighting something more dangerous than I expected."

"Do I even want to know what?" Fox asked.

"It doesn't matter," Weiss said. "It's gone now."

Fox nodded. "Fair enough."

Just then, Ava and Wulfe walked over, Wulfe with his teeth clenched and his thumbs circling the claw release on his gauntlets.

"You okay?" Fox asked.

"I'm great," Wulfe growled. "Never better."

Fox looked to Ava and raised an eyebrow and she shook her head.

"There was a racist at the restaurant," Ava said. "It's settled now."

Fox swallowed hard, eyes subconsciously flashing toward his tail and back as his ears lay down. "Right. Racists. Joy."

"You okay?" Blake asked, stepping up beside him.

"Yeah," Fox said, ears standing back up. "Just anxious to be out of here."

Blake nodded, slipping her hand into his. Then, they all picked up their luggage as their train was announced.

* * *

Leave a review. I'm extending the train fight because it had so much more potential than that. Plus I like to have fun.

 _ **I'm accepting applications for any OCs to have either cameo or maybe join the group for a while, depending on how detailed the description of them and how the story progresses. Don't forget, Fox's team still has an open spot. I'll keep the best one as a replacement. Oh, also, any original Grimm you want to appear in the story, feel free to leave that in a review as well.**_


	24. Chapter 24

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Train Wreck

Fox lay on his bed in silence. Above him, Wulfe was sharpening his claws. To the left, Ava was reading a book. He hated the sleeping arrangements. He understood them, but he hated them. Ruby had all but ordered everyone to sleep with their teams, which meant she had gotten everyone rooms with bunk beds. Which meant he was away from Blake. He _definitely_ hated being away from Blake. Ever since he had started remembering things, being around Blake had made it easier to keep a sense of who he was, and which life he was in. Aside from that, he had started having nightmares about a week back every night, but they tended to be worse whenever he fell asleep away from Blake. Like now.

Of course, he understood why Ruby had wanted it that way. It had been months since everyone was able to relax with their teams in Beacon, and she wanted the teams, mainly Team RWBY to be back to normal as soon as possible. He still didn't like it.

"Could you please stop sharpening those?" Fox finally asked, the constant grinding sound finally grating on his nerves too much. "You've been sharpening them ever since we got on the train, I think they're sharp."

"Sorry," Wulfe said. "Just wanted to be ready for the inevitable."

Yeah," Fox sighed. "I know. We've got Qrow's bad luck semblance, and we've got a Relic. We're _going_ to fight. I just hope it's nothing too annoying."

"You haven't been sleeping well have you?" Ava asked.

"No," Fox said. "Ever since I started remembering I keep having nightmares. Go figure."

"Far cry from not wanting to forget," Wulfe said.

"I _don't_ want to forget," Fox said. "But right now, most of what I'm remembering is the pain, and the fighting. I want to remember the happiness, and the friends. Not the death and despair."

"That's fair," Wulfe said, dropping to the ground. "I'm going to grab a bite to eat."

"It _is_ getting to be dinner time, isn't it?" Ava asked. "I'll go too."

Fox sighed, walking out of the room and heading for the one Qrow and Oscar would be staying in. He knocked and Qrow opened the door, letting him in.

"What's up?" Qrow asked.

"Oscar, do you mind playing telephone for a minute?" Fox asked. "I need to ask Ozpin something."

"Sure," Oscar nodded.

"Can you seal away my memories?" Fox asked.

"He can," Oscar nodded.

"Can you do specific parts?" Fox asked.

"No," Oscar said after a moment. "It's all or nothing. Either you completely forget your past before this life, or you continue as it is now."

"I thought so," Fox nodded. "So, how long do you figure before we end up fighting some belligerently annoying grimm?"

"Probably not too long," Oscar said. "We've got a Relic with us. Plus, Ozpin says Salem's not overly pleased with you. You defeated Cinder, stopped Adam, and kept the Relic out of her hands."

"I did very little of any of that," Fox said. "Yang got the Relic, Raven did most of the work against Cinder, and Blake stopped Adam."

"But you played a hand in all of it," Qrow said. "I just hope _we_ find the next Fall Maiden before Salem does."

"Honestly, I'm not sure there _is_ a next Fall Maiden yet," Fox said. "I mean, there's no way Cinder survived, but...I didn't _see_ her die. So..."

"Ozpin agrees," Oscar said. "Better to assume the worst."

Fox nodded. "How long until we reach Argus, assuming no complications arise?"

"A few days," Qrow said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check on my nieces."

Fox stepped out of the way and Qrow left before Ozpin took control of Oscar. "Ozpin, is Salem what I think she is?"

"She is," Ozpin nodded. "Salem is the first grimm. Created by the god of destruction to wipe out humanity, and all that the god of creation has made."

"So if she dies..." Fox trailed off.

"All other grimm should die as well," Ozpin nodded. "However, the god of destruction was careful in her creation. I'm not certain, but I believe that her true power is that of the god of destruction himself."

"Oz, that would mean we're fighting a god," Fox said. "How do we beat that?"

"I don't know," Ozpin said. "I wish I did."

Fox sighed, nodding, before looking up at Ozpin. "I didn't fight her alone. Please tell me they're all dead."

Ozpin was silent for a long moment before speaking. "In a manner of speaking, yes."

Fox groaned. "Please tell me you're joking. All of them?"

"Not all, no," Ozpin said. "Only the strongest four. And then one failure, which she already set loose, and which was defeated by Team JNPR and Ruby."

"Nuckelavee," Fox said.

"Yes," Ozpin said. "A complete failure, and yet one of the most dangerous foes a student of my school has ever faced."

"I don't know," Fox said. "Maybe before that dragon, and Cinder, and I fought Salem once, sort of. Plus there was that scorpion faunus assassin Qrow was poisoned by. And Hazel. Adam."

"Alright, alright," Ozpin chuckled. "One of the most dangerous _grimm_. Happy?"

"Moderately," Fox smiled.

Ozpin smiled, letting Oscar have control back. Fox sighed, walking out of the room and back toward his own room just as the train shook, several people screaming before a roar rang out. Fox swore, sprinting to the nearest exit and climbing on top of the train, finding himself a single car back from Qrow, Team RWBY, and Fox's teammates. Further back along the train, there was a single chimera grimm, which stood double a person's height, and a swarm of manticore grimm, which were as tall as a person, flying around attacking the two huntsmen from the train station.

"Fuckin chimeras!" Fox said. "Qrow, I'm really starting to hate your semblance."

"Me too," Qrow said.

Suddenly, the guy with the club pressed a button on it, the club lighting up with electricity as he charged, only for the chimera to swat him off of the train instantly.

"Dee!" the sniper shouted.

He turned, sprinting away as the Manticores began to spit fireballs at him and Fox drew his bow back, launching an arrow, which split into several dozen, flying at the grimm. Then, a turquoise suit of armor that looked almost identical to Weiss's armor summon but with a rounded helmet and stood about as tall as Fox fell from the cliff off to the side, landing on the train and threw a small red crystal off of the train, all of the arrows streaking that way and colliding with the crystal, which exploded into a massive red sphere of energy a moment later. Fox stared at it.

"The fuck was that!?" Fox demanded.

"That's possible?" Blake asked.

"That's not a good sign," Qrow said. "Can you handle that thing?"

"Shouldn't be too hard," Fox said, switching his bow back to its sword mode.

As he did, the suit of armor pulled a broadsword off of its back just as a dark blue one landed beside it, this one identical to the first but with a two-foot-wide round shield surrounded by sharpened spikes on its left arm. Then, a much, much larger suit of armor crashed down behind the train, sprinting after it. This one Fox recognized. It was grey, rather than the white ice version he had seen, but he recognized it all the same.

"Weiss, what the fuck!?" Fox asked.

"That's impossible!" Weiss shouted. "That's an Arma Gigas! That's the thing my family made me fight! But I don't understand! They only made the one!"

"Weiss, I would like to point out that you just said your family _made_ a grimm-possessed suit of armor," Fox said. "I'm probably going to kill your family when we get there."

"That thing's getting close!" Qrow said just as several turrets rose off the top of the train, opening fire on the grimm and suits of armor, the manticores beginning to fly around the train, blasting the turrets. "What the hell does he think he's doing!"

Fox glanced at the sniper, who had activated the turrets and who was currently shooting his rifle at the manticores. Then, Fox turned back to the suits of armor. "You guys take the grimm! I'll deal with these things!"

"Good luck!" Qrow shouted as he and the others all charged the grimm.

Fox pressed a button on the grip of his sword and the bottom extended into a two-handed grip. Then, he charged. The two smaller suits of armor charged to meet him, the first slashing at him only for Fox to duck under the blade, standing and deflecting the shield upward as the suit of armor tried to stab him with the points. Then, he jumped, doing a back flip as the first suit of armor slashed, hitting the other suit instead. As Fox landed, he darted forward, slashing both of them and hurling them backward along the train before sprinting forward and leaping over them, landing on the very back edge of the train in time to block the Arma Gigas' sword, the train under him crumpling halfway down, Fox hearing people inside screaming.

"Take a hike fucker!" Fox snarled, his aura pulsing as he shoved the sword upward, leaping off of the train and slamming his sword into the suit of armor, making it stagger backward as he leapt back to the train.

He landed lightly and spun, knocking the turquoise armor's sword aside, slashing it across the chest and making it stagger backward before flipping over the shield. He switched to a bow in midair, and when he landed he sent an arrow blasting into the dark blue armor's chest, sending it blasting backward into the other. Then, he jumped, flipping as the Arma Gigas' sword passed under him, and fired another arrow into its chest. Both arrows had failed to break through the armor, instead dispersing in a shower of sparks, but as Fox landed, his aura pulsed again, this time not by his own choosing. His head snapped to the side and he grinned widely, holding out his hand. His hand glowed bright green suddenly, the light spreading before he gripped his sword with both hands, streaking backward and planting his sword hilt-deep in the Arma Gigas's chest. Then, he sprinted up it, splitting it up the front before splitting its helmet too and flipping backward, sending an arrow into the opening in its helmet. Green light shone out through the breaks in the armor as the grimm possessing it were destroyed and Fox landed on the train, switching to his sword in time to spin, knocking the shield upward, then slashing the armor, hurling it backward.

The other slashed at him several times, Fox deflecting the blow each time before he jumped, slamming a kick into it and hurling it away. It caught the armor with the shield's hand and swung around, landing beside it as Fox held his hand out again, grinning as his aura resonated with his target. Then, he swore, diving forward as yet another suit of armor, this one black with a skull-shaped helmet and pair of longswords with short, wide spikes near the tip, crashed down where he had been. He rolled to his feet just as the front of the train passed into a tunnel, everyone else diving between the cars.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Fox grumbled, leaping into the air.

He landed on the side of the mountain, above the tunnel and instantly held his hand out, his aura lighting up before he swung his hand back. The side of the mountain nearest him but beside the track exploded, the debris killing a couple of the manticores that had left the train at the tunnel, and which he was currently surrounded by. Then, he caught a massive chunk of emerald slightly bigger around than his torso and grinned as green energy flared to life over his entire body.

"I love this mountain," Fox grinned, turning and slashing in a circle, sending out a wave of green energy that killed numerous manticores, then sprinted up the cliff to the top.

As he reached the top of the cliff, he found the three remaining suits of armor waiting. He had lost patience, however. He shot forward, stepping past the turquoise armor's sword and splitting it across the torso, then stabbed directly through the blue one's shield. Then, he stepped past it, gripping his sword in reverse grip and ripping it out of that armor and spinning, slashing at the last, only for the last to block the sword. It shoved it back and Fox flipped backward, landing on his feet, his sword arm toward the armor, sword held vertically in front of him.

"You're getting on my nerves," Fox growled. "That's a bad idea." He glanced down at the turquoise armor and froze, seeing the Schnee Dust Company logo on the back of the helmet. "That bitch!"

The black armor shot forward, slashing at Fox rapidly, Fox deflecting the strikes again and again before flipping, channeling his semblance into his sword and splitting the armor up the back, taking the helmet completely off. He stabbed his sword into the ground, catching the helmet and staring at the logo. Then, he put his sword away, sprinting to the edge of the cliff and leaping off, dropping a hundred feet to the top of the train and landing hard, rolling to a stop before standing and walking toward where Team RWBY, Qrow, Oscar, and Fox's team were fighting the remaining Manticores and the Chimera. Several Manticores shot down toward Fox but he batted them aside with the helmet, killing them, his aura shining dangerously over his body as he did, both from his anger, and from the massive emerald still under his arm.

He stopped in front of Weiss and shoved the helmet into her hand, grabbing his sword handle and extending the blade before holding it out to the side, a Manticore splitting itself in half on it. Weiss stared at the helmet's logo, eyes wide with shock before anger began to fill them.

"Oh, I am going to have _so_ many words with my father over this," Weiss growled.

"I'm probably just going to end him," Fox said. "But first," he turned, slashing and sending out an arc of energy that blasted the remaining Manticores.

Just as he did, Yang and Blake used Blake's sword's cloth to hold the chimera down as Qrow and Ruby used their scythes to split it in half. Just as they did, it launched one last fireball, this one blasting the track ahead of them. Instantly, Weiss drove her sword into the top of the train, several black glyphs appearing, one under each and one under the train, which Fox realized was only about half of it. However, it did nothing to slow them down. Fox knelt, placing his free hand on the train, green energy encasing both it and everyone on it. Then, the train skipped the rails and plummeted down the cliff beside it.

* * *

Leave a review.

 _ **I'm accepting applications for any OCs to have either cameo or maybe join the group for a while, depending on how detailed the description of them and how the story progresses. Don't forget, Fox's team still has an open spot. I'll keep the best one as a replacement. Oh, also, any original Grimm you want to appear in the story, feel free to leave that in a review as well.**_


	25. Chapter 25

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Truth

Fox pushed himself out of the snow, dusting himself off. As he did, the others began to get ready to leave the crashed train. In this case, the others included Team RWBY, since Team JNPR had left with the front half of the train, Fox's team, Qrow, Ozpin, and a small elderly woman with a blue tribal shawl and dress, an oddly-decorated staff, and a pair of goggles with blue lenses with metal shutters that seemed to function like eyelids. Fox looked around. Some of their things had been scattered. Among them were Weiss's dust containers, Yang's motorcycle, and the relic, which Fox picked up, the relic shrinking down instantly.

"Great," Yang complained, struggling to lift her bike out of the snow. "This is just great! We're...stranded. We lost a third of our party. And we have gained...a defenseless old lady!" She got her bike unstuck only to fall backward into the snow, the bike tipping over onto its side a moment later.

"Yang, you're not going to be able to bring that," Fox said, resting a hand on his emerald boulder.

His aura shimmered and the emerald shone before pieces began to fall off. Then, he stopped once it had formed a chestplate like Jaune's, a simple band ring, and a necklace formed from an emerald chain with an emerald pendant. This, however, he charged with his aura and handed to Blake.

"What's it do?" Blake asked.

"It's like a shield, sort of," Fox said.

"My name is Maria Caravera," the woman said. "And I am _not_ defenseless. I'm just a little hard of hearing. And...blind...without my eyes." She tapped her goggles several times as the metal shutters fell out of sync. "That are in desperate need of repair...Okay, I'm starting to see your point."

"Yang, knock it off, will ya?" Qrow asked. "If we lose our cool now, we'll just be inviting even more grimm."

"Does that even matter?" Blake asked. "Apparently we've been attracting grimm ever since we left Haven."

"Oh, and _how_ could I forget about that?" Blake said. "What happened to no more lies and half-truths?"

"Yeah," Oscar agreed. "I think it's time we got an explanation."

Ozpin took control and sighed. "I did not lie to you."

"Well, you certainly didn't tell us everything about the relic," Weiss said.

"There's a lot he hasn't told you," Fox said, sitting down on a fallen tree and pressing snow to his temples, starting to get a headache as old memories began to swim through his head. "Hell, there's a lot he hasn't told me, but I remember some of the stuff."

"Oh, so you've been hiding things too?" Yang said.

"I never said I wouldn't," Fox said. "Besides the fact that focusing on old memories, even to talk about them, makes it hard to keep track of which me I am right now."

"Which you?" Ruby asked.

"You mean, your past lives, right?" Blake asked.

"Yeah," Fox nodded. "It gets difficult without something to help keep me centered, an anchor, of sorts."

"Do you have one?" Blake asked.

He looked up with her with an amused smile on his face and she blushed.

"Oh, right," Blake said. "So, is there anything _you_ can tell us about the relic?"

"I feel like there should be," Fox said. "But...I don't remember."

"Now's not the time," Ozpin said.

"No, we're way past that," Yang said. "I want to know why you're still not telling us everything."

"Yang," Fox said. "Take it from me, some things are better left unsaid. Ozpin's been around for a long time. If he's not telling you something, there's probably a good reason."

"Spoken like a professional liar," Yang said.

"Yang!" Blake said.

"No, she's right," Fox said. "One of my lives was a spy, so I've had practice. But let me put it this way. We lied about Lionheart because if the kingdom of Mistral had known that Lionheart was a traitor working for the bitch that controls the grimm, the entire kingdom would have fallen to grief, distrust, and fear. Then the grimm would have swarmed it. It would have been the Fall of Beacon all over again, except it'd be the entire country."

"Exactly," Ozpin said, turning and starting to walk away, everyone following, Fox grabbing more snow on the way. "I believed that the kingdom of Mistral deserved better than the truth. And I believed that Leonardo deserved to be remembered for his lifetime of service, not for the unfortunate missteps he made in the end."

"Missteps!?" Yang scoffed.

"Not how I'd label selling out dozens of Huntsmen and Huntresses, along with all of us, the Spring Maiden, and the Relic, to Salem," Wulfe said.

"You don't know Salem," Fox said.

"What, so you'd turn traitor to?" Yang asked.

"Given what happened to me the last time she caught me?" Fox asked. "Yeah. I probably would if she caught me again. You have no idea what it was like. For twenty years that bitch tortured me every conceivable way, and countless ways that you couldn't possibly think of. Twenty years. Until I finally got free long enough to kill myself so I'd reincarnate and forget."

"Exactly," Ozpin said. "You may have met Professor Lionheart, but you never met the man that he was before Salem found him."

"Look, we're supposed to be in this together!" Yang said. "You can trust us, we're not going to turn our backs on you."

"Do you really think Leo was the first!?" Ozpin finally demanded, everyone stopping. "That he didn't say those exact same words to me?" Ozpin turned back toward them. "I'm sorry, but you have to understand that my behaviors are backed by experience. I'm not saying that I have reason to think that you will betray me, I'm saying that I have reasons for the things that I do. The secrets I keep. The reason I..." he stopped, looking around. "Where's...the relic?"

"Here," Fox said, holding it up. "I'll be hanging onto this for a bit, if you don't mind Ozpin. I'm the one person here that doesn't want to know anything else, while still being strong enough to defend it."

"It's a powerful artifact and my burden to bear," Ozpin said, holding out his hand.

"Doesn't want to know anything?" Yang asked. "Didn't Ozpin say that all three questions had been asked?"

Fox blinked before a frown formed on his face. She was right. Out of the three questions the relic was capable of answering per century, Ozpin said all three had already been answered. So why did Fox feel like he needed to keep people away from it?

"I...yeah," Fox said, moving the relic a little further from Ozpin. "He did."

"If that's the case, why does it matter who carries it?" Blake asked.

"I need you to listen to me," Ozpin said, stepping forward and reaching for the relic only to freeze, eyes wide.

"Oz?" Qrow asked.

"Hurry," Oscar said. "He's...trying to stop you!"

"Stop us from what?" Yang asked.

"He's afraid..." Oscar said, clearly struggling to maintain whatever small amount of control he had, "you'll find out...what he's...hiding!"

Fox was impressed he could fight off Ozpin at all, all things considered. Suddenly, Oscar collapsed, grunting and reaching out toward Fox.

"Her name...is-"

"Jinn," Fox said, the relic suddenly glowing as the falling snow around them, along with the wind, halted.

They all looked around in surprise.

"What?" Qrow asked.

Fox released the relic and it began to float as blue magic energy began to form around it. It floated a short distance from them, spinning as it moved and a ringing sound beginning to emanate from it. Then, it began to transform. The relic began to break down into blue energy and the energy began to spiral together, rapidly forming into a person. A beautiful, nude, blue-skinned woman floating before them with long, messy, darker blue hair, and golden chains around her waist, ankles, wrists, neck, and a golden circlet on her head. She stretched, yawning, before smiling at them.

"It's about time Fox," Jinn said, everyone staring at her in shock, Fox distinctly remembering having met her before, but not knowing when or how. "So, do you want me to show you your past again, like I did before?"

"I've...asked you...to show me my past?" Fox asked. "Wait, that's not the question!"

Jinn laughed. "Relax Fox. I know that wasn't one of the great three questions you get to ask. Honestly, your memory's kind of annoying sometimes. Let me see, the last time we met was...what, two hundred years ago, almost. You had started to remember your past then, as well, but the process was hell, as I'm sure it has been this time. But in that incarnation, your anchor died, and you were losing yourself to the memories. So you asked me to fix you. To show you all of your memories, and help center you in your current life, or, that one, at least. So I did. Do you want me to do it again?"

"No," Fox said. "I'm okay. I've already gotten through the worst of them.'

"What, your time with Salem?" Jinn asked. "Oh, honey, for your sake, I truly _do_ wish that was the worst."

Fox's eyes widened and he tried to form a response, but couldn't.

"Well, if you won't ask," Jinn turned back to the others. "What knowledge do _you_ seek?"

"What?" Ruby blinked.

"I am Jinn, a being created by the God of Light to aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge," Jinn said. "I have been graced with the ability to answer three questions every on hundred years. You're in luck, as I am still able to answer-"

"That's enough!" Ozpin shouted.

Jinn stared at him for a moment before continuing. "Two questions this era."

"Explains why you didn't want us holding it," Fox said.

"It's a pleasure to see you again old man," Jinn said. "Almost as much as my darling Fox."

"Darling?" Blake asked. "Fox, tell me you didn't."

"Uh...I don't think so," Fox said. "Without wasting a question, did we?"

Jinn laughed. "No no. I just find you interesting, especially after witnessing your memories."

"Would you stop risking our questions?" Yang said.

"Oh don't worry," Jinn said. "As long as it's small things, I'll answer him for free."

Fox stared at her before shaking his head. "Whatever."

"Ruby, please," Ozpin said, everyone, except Fox, Ruby, and Ava, tensing. "Don't."

"Hey," Qrow said, stepping forward, only for Team RWBY along with Wulfe, to prepare themselves to fight, Qrow raising his hands disarmingly. "Do whatever you think is right, Kiddo."

"Jinn," Ruby began.

"Ruby," Fox said. "Remember what I said. Some questions really are better left unanswered."

"What is Ozpin hiding from us?" Ruby asked.

"No!" Ozpin shouted, dashing for Ruby, only for Fox to intercept him, slamming him to the ground before suddenly being in a white void.

He looked around. He was alone. He had felt this before. He had seen this void. according to Jinn, it had been when she had shown him his own memories.

"Once upon a time," Jinn's voice said as a ground formed under him, followed by Beacon Academy, "there stood a lonely tower, that sheltered a lonely girl."

A wall of blue energy passed him and suddenly he was in a void again, but as he turned around, he found a beautiful, familiar-looking blonde seated at a huge, ornate vanity mirror.

"Named Salem," Jinn said as the girl turned, Fox seeing the version he knew and feared so much for a heartbeat before she was replaced by the blonde again.

Fox stared at her. As he watched, Jinn revealed the truth, the story of how Salem became the creature she was, and how Ozpin became who he was. Salem had been rescued from her family by Ozpin, then named Ozma, during a time when humans were able to use magic, and the two had fallen in love. However, Ozpin had grown ill and died. Salem had gone first to the God of Light, begging for him to be returned to her. But the God of Light refused her, telling her that life and death were an essential balance that could not be denied. So instead, Salem had gone to the God of Death. The God of Death, who, understandably, was never worshiped as his brother was due to creating the grimm, creatures of destruction, happily revived Ozpin for Salem, who had told him that she came to him first. However, the God of Light intervened, telling the God of Darkness the truth. In response, the Gods once again killed Ozpin, then cursed Salem with Immortality. She cursed the gods, trying time and again to end her life, only to fail each time. Eventually, she realized something. When she had gone to the God of Darkness, it had caused a fight between them at first. She realized that the gods were not infallible. So, she began to use her immortality for her own gain, claiming to have stolen it from the gods, and welcoming any who would listen to try to kill her, going before the kings of the land and proving herself unkillable. Then, she fooled the humans into believing in a time when they would all be immortal, and they would no longer need to fear their loved ones passing away.

She raised an army and led it against the gods, only for the God of Darkness to punish the humans using his gift of magic against him to wipe out every human on the planet, save for Salem. Then, when she cursed them, threatening to raise another army, they told her she was truly alone, before leaving the world, the God of Darkness shattering the moon as he did. After realizing how alone she was, Salem eventually made her way back to the God of Darkness's realm, throwing herself into the god's black pools of darkness, known as the Pools of Grimm. The Fountain of Life, the water that resided in the God of Life's sanctuary, had given her immortality, so she believed that the Pools of Grimm would end it. However, she was wrong. Instead of ending her life, it cursed it still further. Instead of an immortal human being, she became an immortal creature of darkness, incapable of death and craving destruction.

Next, Jinn moved from Salem to Ozpin once again. As they left the world behind, one which became known as Remnant due to the God of Light calling it a remnant of what it once was, the God of Light created four relics; Creation, Destruction, Choice, and Knowledge. He then gave Ozpin the option of trying to save the human race, which would be recreated on Remnant. If Ozpin succeeded, and the human race was united as one and abandoned their desire to destroy each other, the relics were to be gathered together, and would summon the Gods of Light and Darkness back to Remnant to once again bless humanity. If not, Remnant, as a whole, would be erased from existence. Ozpin initially declined, wishing to go to the afterlife to be with Salem, until the God of Light informed him that Salem was alive, but warned him that she was not the woman he had fallen in love with any longer. Ozpin agreed, and was reincarnated for the first time into a time when the human race possessed no magic, and were at war with the grimm, and losing, and the Faunus were still kept in cages, and treated like monsters, or vermin. He had found he could still use magic, unlike everyone else, who now relied on Dust, a type of magic crystal the God of Light had granted the humans to keep them from being wiped out by the grimm. He then heard of a which who was feared for using magic and living with animals, rather than humans.

He tracked her down, and found that it was, indeed, Salem, in all her horrifying, inhuman glory. But they both recognized each other, and were both still in love. They lived together for a while before deciding to lead the human race as their new gods. They were both capable of magic, and both immortal in their own ways. They could convince the humans, whose hearts were easily swayed, that they were gods. And so, they made themselves gods. They used their magic to fight the grimm and were worshipped. As time continued on, they eventually had a family, four daughters, each capable of magic. The original Maidens. But as time ticked onward, Salem's craving for destruction began to become more and more apparent. She sent their followers to spread their worship to other humans, and any that refused to follow them, Salem ordered their followers to slaughter. Ozpin eventually had enough. He told Salem of the task given to him by the God of Light, a task which he had kept hidden from Salem, along with the existence of the relics, and their purpose, just as Salem had hidden the truth of why she was immortal, and why the gods left, from Ozpin. Salem disregarded both Ozpin's task and the relics, believing it didn't matter, because they were the new gods.

And so, not long after, Ozpin had had enough. He planned to leave with their daughters, to find a place to live peacefully, and to begin to try and fulfill his task. However, Salem was furious. She fought Ozpin, both of them inevitably throwing everything they had at each other. In the end, the battle consumed their home, their children, and what little good remained in Salem. She survived the battle due to being immortal, and killed Ozpin's host. And so, Ozpin's cycle began. At first he would take over completely, replacing the host, but this caused a string of problems, from regretting ever agreeing to return, to trying to forget his problems, usually using alcohol. Eventually, he learned to coexist with the host, and they began to work toward the completion of his task. However, try as he might, he was unable to succeed, and no matter what he did, Salem, no in control of the grimm, continued to wage war against him, sending grimm after the humans she once ruled, and after Ozpin. It became clear that if he was ever going to unite humanity, Salem had to be destroyed first. Eventually, Ozpin had sought out and acquired the relic of Knowledge. He had used Jinn's powers to find the rest of the relics and seal them away, find out what they did and how to wield them, and then to ask how to destroy Salem. However, on the last question he received an answer he couldn't bear to hear. Salem could _not_ be destroyed.

As the story ended, Fox found himself once again in the void, Jinn floating before him. He was confused. If that was how Ozpin had come to be, then how had he? He desperately wanted to use Jinn's last question to learn of his own origins, however, he couldn't waist something so valuable to satisfy his own curiosity.

"You needn't ask," Jinn said. "I'll tell you for free. Before your cycle began, you were created as the first recreation of mankind by the gods before they left. Rather than magic, you were given some semblance of it, the first Semblance. After you, others were made, with their Semblances taking form from their personalities. But you were different. When they created you, and your Semblance, the Gods had wished for one person to be present to mediate between Ozma and Salem, and so the God of Darkness pointed out a need for someone more powerful than the rest of humanity, one whose Semblance was closer to magic, enough to be able to be used against the true magic wielded by Ozma and Salem. The God of Light agreed, but at a price. You would be returned to life each time you died, so as to be capable of mediating between them for as long as Ozma's task remained unfinished, but in order to preserve balance, you would start over each time. And so, your own cycle of rebirth began a lifetime before Ozma was reincarnated the first time."

"But, he and I were childhood friends," Fox said. "I remember that he and I were friends before his cycle began."

"No," Salem said. "That was already multiple reincarnations into Ozpin's own cycle, the first time he reincarnated into a child. He merely told you that you were childhood friends, because in that lifetime, you were."

"I see," Fox nodded. "Thank you."

Jinn nodded and the void around him faded, leaving him once again in the snow.

* * *

Leave a review. Not gonna lie, I'm kind of disappointed that the broken moon wasn't more important than that.

 _ **I'm accepting applications for any OCs to have either cameo or maybe join the group for a while, depending on how detailed the description of them and how the story progresses. Don't forget, Fox's team still has an open spot. I'll keep the best one as a replacement. Oh, also, any original Grimm you want to appear in the story, feel free to leave that in a review as well.**_


	26. Chapter 26

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Breaking

Fox stared at Jinn, now once again in her lamp form, and in Ruby's hands again. Then, he turned to Ozpin, as did the others.

"Salem can't be killed!" Yang said. "You all heard that too, right?"

"Yes," Fox nodded. "Jinn wouldn't show just one person anything." _Except for telling me who I am,_ he thought. "We all saw."

"What exactly is your plan for defeating Salem?" Yang demanded.

"I...I don't...have one," Ozpin said, tears running down his face.

Fox opened his mouth to speak, only for Qrow's fist to crash into Ozpin's jaw, hurling him backward into a tree. Qrow shouted in rage before the anger left him, Qrow's shoulders slumping, a defeated, empty look on his face.

"No one wanted me, because I was cursed," Qrow said. "I came to you because I thought I'd be doing something good."

"But you are-" Ozpin began.

"Meeting you was the worst luck of my entire life," Qrow said.

"That's not fair, Qrow," Fox said. "Ozpin's-"

"You may be right," Ozpin interrupted.

Then, his irises shown gold and Oscar was left in charge, groaning and rubbing his jaw where Qrow had punched him.

"What happened?" Ruby asked.

"He's gone," Oscar said.

"That bastard!" Yang spat. "Tell him we're not done yet!"

"No, this is different," Oscar said. "I mean he's _gone_. It's like he locked himself away deep inside my head...our head?" He groaned, clutching his head. "I hate this! I want it to stop!"

"He just left us!?" Weiss asked.

"That sone of a bitch!" Wulfe growled.

"What are we going to do now?" Blake asked.

Yang growled in annoyance and Fox's patience finally broke.

"All of you calm down!" Fox finally snapped, one hand to his head as it throbbed painfully, his memories trying to blend together again. "Your negativity isn't going to help anything! All you're going to do is get us attacked by grimm again. Our situation isn't as bad as you're all thinking. At least not yet. We aren't wading through an army of grimm, so we can assume that Salem doesn't know where we are yet. My guess is that Hazel and the others haven't reached her to report in on their failure and on where we're going."

"How would they know where we're going?" Weiss asked.

"Atlas has the most powerful army," Fox said. "It's safest for us to take the relic there. Plus there's a CCT tower there that we can use to call for help from the other huntsmen academies if we need to. Which I have no doubt we will. I also assume we'll be seeing Cinder again soon."

He stopped, gritting his teeth as a wave of pain flooded through his head, knocking him back several steps. After a moment it faded and he found Ava and Blake beside him, both worried.

"I'm fine," Fox lied. "As I was saying, the sooner we get to Atlas the better. And we'll need Ozpin again."

"Why, so he can lie to us again?" Yang spat.

"Firstly because he's a deadly fighter," Fox growled, eyes starting to shimmer. "Secondly he's my friend, and thirdly, despite being unable to truly stop Salem, he's been keeping the relics and the maidens safe from her for hundreds of years, and trying his best to unite humanity despite Salem's interference. He's been actively fighting against the love of his life, watched his children die in front of him, and anyone he cares about grows old and dies in front of him while he is unable to join them, so how about a little fucking respect!"

As he finished, a pulse of energy shot out his back, ripping the ground apart before pain flashed through his head again, dropping him to his knees.

"Fox!" Blake gasped.

"He needs to rest," Ava said. "His memories are starting to overlap and tear his mind apart from stress, negative emotions, and exhaustion."

"How do you know?" Blake asked.

"Long story," Ava said. "We need to get moving now."

"There is a path over there," the elderly woman said. "I was about to suggest it, but your friend beat me to telling you all to calm down."

"Lady, I don't now who you think you are but-" Yang was cut off as the woman slammed the end of her staff into the ground.

"No buts!" the woman snapped. "I know you're all upset. Honestly I'm still coming to terms with the fact that this is humanity's second time around. But if we don't move, we die, and I'll be damned if I've lived this long just to die out here in the cold! And if what the girl says is true, if we don't get moving quickly, your friend will die, if he's lucky, long before any of us. If he's not lucky, his mind will be destroyed and he'll be left broken and insane, if not worse."

"She's right," Ruby said. "We need to move. And we need to find Fox somewhere to rest quickly."

"He can't walk like this," Blake said.

"I'll carry him," Qrow sighed. "Let's hurry."

They all nodded, Yang and Wulfe quickly digging out her motorcycle before they all started along the path, the old woman sitting on Yang's bike. They moved quickly, Blake and Ava remaining at Fox's side, Blake out of worry, and Ava to monitor his condition, watching as he rapidly deteriorated. Finally, just as Yang was about to complain that there was nothing there, they found an abandoned village, Brunswick Farms. They quickly found an inn and Qrow found a usable room, setting Fox on the bed and pulling the blankets up over him.

"I'm going to check on the others," Qrow said. "Come an get me if anything happens."

Blake nodded and Qrow left. Ava felt Fox's forehead and sighed.

"I need a rag and a bucket of lukewarm water," Ava said.

Blake nodded again and quickly left the room. Ava sighed, turning back to Fox and resting a hand on his hair, stroking her thumb over his forehead.

"Really now, Fox," Ava sighed. "You really are causing a lot of trouble this time around. You should have listened when I tried to tell you to stay close to your anchor." She sighed. "Let's see about those memories, shall we?" She leaned down, gently kissing his forehead, a small flash of white light shooting out from the contact before she sat back, watching as Fox slowly relaxed.

Blake walked in, kneeling beside Ava, who took the rag, dipped it in the water, and rested it on his forehead.

"He looks calmer now," Blake noticed.

"I guess his memories are starting to settle," Ava said. "I think I know why this happened."

"Why?" Blake asked.

"Aside from being tired, I think it has something to do with his anchor, or rather, lack thereof," Ava said.

"Anchor?" Blake asked.

"Someone important to him that keeps him centered on this lifetime," Ava said. "Someone that can keep him...him, so to speak."

"I'll do it," Blake said. "What do I need to do?"

"Just be with him," Ava said. "Constantly, I mean. You've heard of codependency disorder? Where you constantly need someone there to show you they love you, or else you get depressed and start hating yourself? Well, think of this like that, except that instead of hating himself, he loses track of which version he is. He'll get them confused and mixed up, this version of himself, the one in love with you, and friends with all of us will die, and then his mind will shatter."

"How do you know all of this?" Blake asked.

Ava was silent for several long seconds before responding. "Jinn."

Blake watched her silently for a moment before nodding. "Okay. I'll be his anchor."

Ava nodded and stood. "I'm going to go and choose a room. If it seems like he's getting worse again, come and get me."

Blake nodded and Ava left, Blake remaining where she was, her hand in Fox's, watching him worriedly.

* * *

Leave a review.

 _ **I'm accepting applications for any OCs to have either cameo or maybe join the group for a while, depending on how detailed the description of them and how the story progresses. Don't forget, Fox's team still has an open spot. I'll keep the best one as a replacement. Oh, also, any original Grimm you want to appear in the story, feel free to leave that in a review as well.**_


	27. Chapter 27

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Apathy

Fox's eyes slowly creaked open. As he did, he looked down, seeing Blake asleep in the bed beside him. He smiled, gently brushing some hairs out of her face and she sat up slowly, yawning and smiling up at him tiredly.

"Hey," she smiled. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright," Fox smiled. "My headache's all gone. How long have we been here?"

"One night, I think," Blake said. "I'm so tired. A lot's happened, though. Everyone in the town's dead. Like they all went to sleep and just never woke up again. When we found out, I was terrified that would happen to you too."

"I'm be alright," Fox smiled. "Where is everyone?"

"I think they all decided to sleep in the living room," Blake said, standing. "Are you okay to get up?"

Fox nodded, pulling the sheets back and standing. Blake smiled and Fox kissed her for a moment before pulling back and smiling.

"How are you?" Fox asked.

"I'm not the one that passed out," Blake said.

"No," Fox agreed. "But you _are_ the one that just found out everything she had been doing was based on a lie."

"So were you," Blake said. "You were following Ozpin too."

"No," Fox said. "I wasn't following Ozpin. I was traveling with you. I was trying to keep you safe. I was trying to help an old friend in whatever he needed done, and I was trying to protect my new friends and the love of my life. I'm not that surprised to find out Salem's immortal. I'm not surprised to find out Ozpin's got no idea how to stop her. The only thing that really surprised me was something Jin told me alone. I was created by the gods specifically to mediate between Ozpin and Salem. Which makes sense that she used the word mediate, since neither can ever truly die, and neither can I."

Blake nodded. "That _does_ kind of make sense. Come on. Let's go and see if the others are ready to leave."

As they left the room and headed for the living room, they found Qrow in a drunken stupor beside one of the windows, three empty wine bottles beside him. Fox rested a hand on Qrow's shoulder, supercharging his aura long enough to sober him up before pulling his hand away just as Ruby stepped into the room.

"Good morning," Fox smiled.

"You're awake," Ruby smiled tiredly. "That's good. We were worried."

"Your uncle's taking this hard," Fox said, taking the flask out of Qrow's jacket and pouring it out on the floor. "He needs to stop drinking for a while."

Ruby nodded, picking up one of the bottles. After a moment, she hurled it at the wall, shattering it. Qrow jumped, looking around before seeing it was them, along with the displeased look in Ruby's eyes.

"Oh, right, sunrise," Qrow said, reaching for his flask, only to stop when he saw Fox holding it. "You dumped it out, didn't you?"

"You're done drinking," Fox said. "I understand how you feel, believe me, I do. But drinking yourself to death isn't going to solve anything."

"Yeah yeah," Qrow grumbled. "Are the others awake?"

"Yes," Ruby nodded. "They went to fix Yang's bike."

Qrow nodded. "Go help them. I'll be out in a bit. I'm going to take one last look around."

Ruby nodded hesitantly before heading outside. As she did, Qrow reached for his flask, but Fox caught his arm.

"You've had enough," Fox said.

"I'll decide when I've-"

"You're her father, aren't you?" Fox asked, Qrow freezing, Blake staring at Fox, then Qrow, then fox again. "How do you think Ruby feels, seeing you drinking yourself into a stupor at night, and lying to her face about being okay? Do you think it's any easier on _her_ to know Ozpin's been lying to us all? Do you really think she needs to be worried about _you_ on top of everything else?"

Qrow was silent for several seconds before sighing. "That flask was a gift."

Fox sighed, setting it in Qrow's hand and Qrow slipped it into his jacket, picking up his weapon. The three of them walked outside, arriving just as Weiss finished welding a piece of metal on the back of Blake's bike back into place as Ava and Wulfe pushed a trailer over.

"Finished," Weiss said tiredly.

Fox looked around, aside from him, the only one who didn't seem completely exhausted was Ava, though she had always been an early riser, so he figured that was to be expected.

"Good," Qrow said. "Now we just need to hook this thing up and-"

Just as he set his hand on the trailer, one of the tires burst, going flat in seconds and being rendered useless. Qrow grit his teeth and inhaled slowly before walking away, sitting off to the side.

"Should have seen that coming," Qrow said.

"You people are just beacons for bad luck, aren't you?" Maria said, stepping onto the porch, her eyes' shutters adjusting themselves a few times.

"I'm starting to think the universe just doesn't want us getting to Atlas," Yang sighed, sitting against a well beside her.

"We've been through worse," Fox said. "We just need to find a spare. If nothing else, Weiss can probably make one out of ice."

"It's not just that," Yang said. "It's everything! Storms, crashes, monsters." She sighed heavily. "I'm so tired."

"Me too," Blake said, sitting on the porch beside Oscar now. "It seems like we're always having to fight to get by."

"Yeah, but that's what we signed up for," Ruby said.

"We signed up to try to save the world," Oscar said. "Not just...delay the inevitable."

"We're not delaying the inevitable," Fox said. "We're searching for answers. Do any of you really think that it'll be easy to find a way to kill an immortal mutant bitch like Salem?"

"That's beside the point," Wulfe grumbled, laying on the trailer. "Unlike you, not all of us had a nice, long, restful sleep. We're all tired. We're all sick of being lied to."

Fox sighed. Wulfe could be really stubborn when he was tired, and Fox could tell he was barely keeping himself awake at this point.

"Last night...I couldn't stop thinking," Weiss said. "Why _are_ we going to Atlas?"

"Weiss, we _have_ to go," Ruby said.

"Why?" Yang asked, standing and turning to them.

"To keep the lamp away from Salem," Fox said.

"Ozpin hid the relics behind giant doors beneath massive schools," Yang pointed out. "But...how long would it take Salem to find a lamp in the middle of nowhere?"

"But...the grimm might," Ruby said.

"They'd find it eventually, sure," Yang said. "But...bury it or throw it down the well, it would take years. It might not even happen in our lifetime. But we could be done with it _now_."

"You can't be serious, right?" Fox asked. "Can you even _begin_ to imagine what Salem could do with the lamp's power? Maybe something like, where are the maidens? Or how do I kill Ozpin permanently? Or how do I destroy a relic? Can you imagine the repercussions of _any_ of those questions?"

Yang shrugged, Fox's mouth actually dropping open. "Like I said, it might not even happen in our lifetime."

Ruby pulled the lamp off of her belt, holding it in front of herself as Weiss stepped up beside Yang. Blake stepped up beside Fox, slipping her hand into his and leaning on his shoulder, yawning.

"Ruby, you can't," Fox said, watching her walk to the well, holding out the lamp but not dropping it, simply staring at it.

"I am...really...tired," Ruby said, her arm beginning to tremble slightly.

Finally, she sighed, moving the lamp a little closer to herself. Then, she screamed, jumping, the lamp falling into the well. She lunged for it, Fox doing the same, but both missed, the lamp spinning away into the darkness below.

"Oh no!" Ruby said. "No no no! I didn't mean to!" She rested her face in her hands.

"Ruby, it's okay," Weiss said.

"No!" Ruby said, turning to her. "No there's something down there, I saw it! It was looking at me!"

Fox held a hand out, his palm glowing green, green light shining down into the well, reflecting off the thin layer of water below. The relic was gone.

"There's no way it floated away," Fox said. "It's too heavy for that."

"We have to find it!" Ruby said.

"All we have to do is fix this trailer," Qrow said, looking to Oscar. "Hey farm boy, check for a spare."

"You too?" Fox asked. "Jesus. At least you agree with us, right Blake?"

Blake hesitated, Fox staring at her. Finally, she sighed. "I mean...There's no guarantee that Salem really wants to use the relics. And Yang has a point about it taking the grimm years to find them."

"I can't believe you!" Fox said, pulling his hand out of hers. "Fine. Me and Ruby will go find the relic ourselves. You guys fix the trailer."

"Thank you Fox," Ruby said.

"Wait," Blake said. "I'm sorry. You're right. We can't just leave it sitting around. Like it or not, we can't let Salem have them. I'll come with you."

Yang sighed. "So will I."

"We'll go down together," Weiss said.

"Fine," Qrow groaned. "Find the stupid lamp. Oscar, fix the stupid tire." He stood, walking toward the house.

"Where are you going?" Maria asked.

"I'm going to see if there's any food we can take with us," Qrow said. "I remember there being some canned food with the wine. Even I can't fuck up canned food that bad."

"Qrow," Fox said.

"Relax," Qrow said. "I'm not going to drink any wine."

Fox nodded and turned back to the well, climbing in and sliding down using his hands and feet against the sides before reaching the bottom of the well and falling into a water way, landing lightly. It was only about ten feet high or so, so it wasn't much of a landing. He stepped out of the way, and a moment later the others landed as well, all looking around. Ruby and Yang both raised their scrolls, turning the lights on and looking around.

"So where'd it go?" Yang asked.

"Like I said, it couldn't have been carried away by the current," Fox said, looking around. "Something's down here with us."

They all looked around, before choosing a direction and beginning to walk. As they did, Fox looked around carefully, his sword in his hand. The water way was a maze of tunnels, likely running all under the town. After about ten minutes, they stopped, looking around.

"Maybe we should turn the lights out and look for its glow?" Blake more asked than suggested.

"Good idea," Fox nodded, Ruby and Yang turning the lights out.

They kept walking, barely able to see now, for another few minutes before finally stopping, a dim blue light glowing from a side passage up ahead.

"There," Blake said tiredly, pointing.

Ruby jogged over, turning the corner and disappearing from sight.

"Guys, I..." Ruby's voice trailed off and Fox tensed, stepping forward.

Just as he did, Ruby began to scream, running back around the corner with the lamp hugged against her chest.

"Ruby!" Yang shouted, Fox running forward to meet her, only to slow to a stop as several tall emaciated grimm staggered around the corner.

"Apathy!" Fox shouted. "Run now!"

He switched to a bow and fired an arrow through several of them, destroying them. However, the rest all suddenly roared. Suddenly, Fox felt like his limbs were made of lead. He staggered a few steps before catching himself, turning away from the grimm and forcing himself awake using his semblance. Just as he did, Maria arrived.

"Run!" Maria shouted. "Now!"

The others all looked back toward the Grimm, only for Fox to grab Ruby and Blake's hands, running away from the grimm, Yang and Weiss following. They quickly made their way back toward the well, however, just as they neared the light, more Apathy stepped into the light, roaring. Again exhaustion flooded Fox, Fox struggling to keep it at bay this time.

"This way!" Ruby said, turning down a tunnel made by a broken wall.

The others all followed, and they continued through a maze of tunnels, both man-made and grimm-made. The further they ran, the more Apathy began to follow them, and the more tired they all began to feel. Finally, they ran through a broken wall into what looked like a flooded wine cellar. Except that the moment they stepped inside, a horde of Apathy off to the side roared, all of them falling to their knees.

"I can't...do this," Yang said weakly, struggling to crawl away. "I can't..."

Fox forced himself to his feet, lifting his sword shakily. "The...the stairs." He pointed to a set of stairs off to the side. "Get...out. Quickly."

Maria reached the stairs first, catching herself on the side of them before sitting down heavily. As she did, Fox stepped forward, slashing several of the grimm. He stepped back as several reached for him, slashing their arms and stumbling away from them with the sword's momentum. He fell to his knees just as Blake collapsed.

"Blake!" Fox said. "Get up!"

"It's fine," Blake said, unable to even lift her head off of her arm anymore.

An Apathy reached for her and Fox shoved himself up, stumbling over and slashing it, falling onto Blake as another stepped up. He curled himself protectively around her, unable to get himself up anymore.

"Blake, Fox!" Ruby shouted, her eyes suddenly shining blindingly.

The grimm all roared in pain, shrinking back from the light and Fox felt the exhaustion leave his body. He scrambled up, pulling Blake up and grabbing her sword.

"What just happened?" Maria asked.

Blake leaned heavily on Fox's shoulder as he helped her toward the stairs, Weiss running up to the doors and shoving against them.

"They're locked!" Weiss said.

"Out of my way!" Yang said, hurrying to the stairs.

Just as she hit the third step, a fresh horde of Apathy reached the room, roaring at the same time as the injured ones shrieked. Fox's legs gave out instantly, dropping both himself and Blake to the ground. He was so tired. He could barely think. And the water below him was so cool and comforting. Blake was lying on his chest and he smiled, wrapping his arms around her. Maybe he'd just sleep for a little while. Just as he closed his eyes, a blinding light burned through his eyelids and he groaned, raising a hand. Suddenly, his exhaustion began to evaporate. He opened his eyes, blinking twice before sitting up, looking toward where the grimm had been. They were gone. The last of their remains were dissolving in the air before them. Fox turned, staring at Ruby, who was staring at the grimm's remains in a stunned silence.

"Yang go!" Fox said, shaking himself out of his surprise and pulling Blake up.

Yang stood, running up the rest of the stairs before punching the door, blasting it open. She ran out of the cellar, Weiss following, then Fox and Blake and Ruby and Maria.

"We're back in the house?" Yang asked.

"Good," Fox said. "Get outside."

"What are you all doing in here?" Qrow asked from off to the side, arms loaded with cans.

"There are Apathy below the town," Fox said.

Qrow swore and nodded, following Yang, Blake, and Maria as they left. Fox grabbed an armful of liquor from the shelves and began hurling the bottles at the cellar doors. Weiss quickly followed suit.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked.

"Keeping them from following us," Fox said. "Weiss, do it now!"

Weiss drew her sword, flames spiraling along the blade just as several Apathy reached the puddle of liquor they had spread over the floor. Then, Weiss slashed, a glyph forming in the air and an arc of flames shooting out of it, igniting them and the liquor. They all ran outside, finding the others all on the trailer, Yang seated on the bike, ready to leave. As soon as they were on the trailer, Yang sped off, quickly leaving the town behind. After a while of riding, Maria finally broke the silence.

"The Apathy," Maria said. "They're not strong or ferocious. They drain your will to go on. Bartleby's estate was hemorrhaging money toward the end. He wanted to cut costs on Huntsmen protection. But in order to do that, he needed everyone calm. Always."

"Managed to get two away from their pack," Oscar read, holding a book that was apparently a diary from Bartleby, the former owner of the estate they had just left. "Hike back was miserable, but got the bastards in the cellar. Wife thinks I was out sealing the waterway entrance. I'll do it tomorrow and tell her the truth once these things take the edge off of everyone. I'm tired."

"The next page proves that he did," Maria said. "But not before the rest of the pack followed their missing pair all the way home. My guess is they made their way beneath the estate through the water tunnels...that Bartleby sealed up the next morning." She took the book from Oscar. "Bartleby's plan worked. No one was angry, or sad, or scared. No one was anything. And then, no one was left."

She tossed the book away, sighing. Fox sighed, resting his head on Blake's shoulder, glancing at Ava, who was leaning on Wulfe's shoulder. He smiled slightly at that.

"I'm...sorry for what I said," Weiss said. "About giving up."

Yang slowed to a stop and sighed. "Me too. We can't quit until the lamp is safe."

"It's not your fault," Blake said. "It was those...things."

"I should have known," Maria said. "The signs were all there. But I'd never seen an entire settlement withered away like that. I...suppose my mind just isn't what it used to be."

"Miss Calavera?" Ruby spoke up, Maria looking back at her. "How do you know so much about the grimm? And in the tunnels you knew exactly what to say to make me...to make my eyes do that. How?"

"Well, isn't it obvious girl?" Maria smiled. "I had silver eyes."

"Had?" Fox asked.

Maria sighed heavily. "That was a long time ago. I will explain everything I can once we're safe. For now, we should keep moving."

Yang nodded, continuing, and they all fell silent again.

* * *

Leave a review.

 _ **I'm accepting applications for any OCs to have either cameo or maybe join the group for a while, depending on how detailed the description of them and how the story progresses. Don't forget, Fox's team still has an open spot. I'll keep the best one as a replacement. Oh, also, any original Grimm you want to appear in the story, feel free to leave that in a review as well.**_


	28. Chapter 28

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Family

Fox smiled as he watched Argus finally growing closer before them. It had been a long, exhausting journey, and they hadn't found anywhere to rest since they had left the last town, so Maria had told them her story on the way. She had once been a legendary huntress called the Grimm Reaper, who used a pair of scythes, which her staff was one of, apparently, along with her silver eyes, to slaughter grimm on a level that apparently made Crow decide to use a scythe to try to be more like her. However, one day, after killing a Nevermore, a group of assassins sent by Salem had attacked her, the leader of the group, a woman with sharpened metal teeth who fought with a pair of cutlass, had managed to carve out Maria's eyes. Maria had then used her scythes' ability to magnetically attract each other to plant one in the woman's back and behead her, then explained that she went into hiding, too afraid to continue being a huntress, even after receiving surgery to get her mechanical eyes implanted. Once she had finished, she admitted that she was happy some of them, namely Fox and Qrow, were already stronger than she ever was, and that she regretted not doing more to leave the world in a better state. Ruby had then countered by saying that she could by teaching Ruby to control her eyes. About thirty seconds later, Ruby had gotten a call from Jaune, and they had found that Argus was visible just over the next hill. And now, they were almost there.

"It's been so long," Blake smiled. "I can't wait to finally be able to sleep in a bed, and shower."

"I'd give up the bed for a shower with warm water and some food that isn't canned beans," Fox said.

"Seconded," Ava said from her place beside Wulfe.

Wulfe grunted an agreement, busy eating a can of beans. Fox shook his head.

"How can you complain about having to eat canned beans as you're shoving your face with canned beans?" Fox asked.

"I like food," Wulfe said. "Plus I'm always hungry. Ever since Beacon."

Ava and Fox both fell silent, Fox nodding slowly.

"What?" Ruby asked. "Did something else happen at Beacon?"

"Wulfe died there," Fox said. "He fought Adam and lost."

"But then...how is he..." Weiss trailed off, staring at Wulfe.

"Wulfe's Semblance is to create living, breathing clones," Fox said. "Exact replicas. To the point that if the original dies, the clones, any that survived the fight, are still alive to take his place as the original. And they can use the Semblance too. They have all of the originals memories and abilities. For all intents and purposes, they _are_ the original."

"Oh," Weiss said.

"I'm sorry," Blake said. "If I had just had the guts to deal with Adam back then, you wouldn't have had to go through that."

"It's alright," Wulfe said. "By the time I fought him, I was in the process of going feral anyway. I started during my fight with Leon. I had mostly calmed down, but the next fight I got into, it would have happened. That fight just happened to be Adam. I went full feral, too. Fur, claws, snout. Everything. Adam was just too fast."

"We'll make him pay," Blake said. "Whenever we find him again, we'll make him pay. For you and Yang."

Fox nodded. "And for you."

"He never did anything to me," Blake said, confused.

"Yes he did," Fox said. "He hurt you worse than anyone. So I fully intend to hurt him back. After all. He doesn't really need his fingers intact, does he?"

"You are _not_ torturing him," Blake said forcefully.

"We're here," Yang said as they reached the gate.

They were allowed in without much trouble, Qrow using his Huntsman ID to get their weapons through, then continued to a storage complex where Yang stored her bike and the trailer. Almost as soon as she had locked it, Nora tackled Oscar with a hug. Fox laughed as the rest of Team JNPR rushed over, greeting them all, though not as excitedly as Nora.

"Are you all alright?" Ren asked.

"We're fine," Fox smiled. "A lot to talk about, but we're fine."

"We have quite a bit to talk about too," Jaune said.

"So where have you guys been staying?" Ruby asked.

Instantly, Jaune's face fell into an embarrassed grimace and Pyrrha's lit up. Fox grinned.

"Please tell me it's his parents' house," Fox said.

"Close," Pyrrha said just as a woman off to one side, who was holding a baby on her hip, called out to them waving.

Fox looked over at her and his eyes widened as he instantly saw the family resemblance. He laughed, several of the others doing the same as others cheered and ran over to see the baby, mostly meaning Weiss and Yang, Ruby more concerned with the fact that she was meeting Jaune's sister. A few minutes of a bus ride later, they were at Jaune's sister Saphron's house, watching as Saphron teased Jaune about being her baby brother, and humiliated both him and Pyrrha by complaining about how loud they were during sex, which, of course, made everyone else keel over laughing. Not too long after, the door opened and Saphron introduced the woman standing there, a brunette like the baby, as her wife, Terra Cotta. Fox looked between the two for a moment before looking to Blake who gave him a "don't you dare" look, knowing he was considering teasing her more about Ilea and Yang.

Fox raised his hands in surrender as Saphron and Terra put the groceries Terra had brought home away Team JNPR began to make everyone sandwiches. Terra welcomed them all to their home, lifting her and Saphron's child into her lap and sitting on the couch.

"You all risk so much to keep people safe, it's the least we can do," Terra said after Ruby asked if she was sure it was okay for all of them to stay there. "Especially for such an elite huntsman like yourself." She turned to Qrow. "Although, I will say I was surprised to learn you had _students_ helping you. Is that even legal?"

Qrow didn't answer for a moment, being lost in thought about one thing or another, most likely their current situation regarding Ozpin, so Ruby jabbed him in the side with her elbow.

"Uh, of course," Qrow said. "Think of it as an extended training mission. Trust me, I was a professor. Even went to the same academy as them. Let me tell ya, these kids are way better than we were at their age. Well, not better than me, specifically, but a lot of students-"

"Shut up there's food!" Ruby cheered, team JNPR having brought in the sandwiches.

"Not better than you, huh?" Fox asked, grinning and taking a sandwich. "I'd actually like to test that one."

"No," Qrow said, glancing at the two women who were looking at him curiously. "He's a bit of a special case. He has a semblance that gets passed down through his family, and the Semblance transfers all of the skills of the inheritor's father up until the point of the child's birth to the child. So he's actually pretty good."

"Careful Qrow," Fox said, grinning. "That almost sounded like a compliment."

Qrow rolled his eyes as Fox took a bit, gently squeezing Blake's hand as she leaned on his shoulder.

"Well, that sounds like a very useful Semblance," Saphron smiled.

After a few minutes, Terra's phone vibrated and she sighed heavily, excusing herself to answer it.

"Is everything okay?" Blake asked, picking up on the negativity in Terra's voice as she answered.

"Oh, yeah," Saphron smiled. "Uh, it will be. Terra's a technician for the town's relay tower. Unfortunately, the military's radar system is also housed there." She bent down, looking at the baby and adopting a baby talk voice. "Guess what's been on the fritz lately and who's getting falsely blamed."

"Me," Terra whispered from the door to the kitchen.

"That explains why Ironwood couldn't come and pick us up," Fox said. "He's be worried about an invasion."

"Yeah," Qrow nodded. "Just my luck."

"So, what's your plan for tomorrow?" Saphron asked.

"Well," Ruby said. "We're trying to make our way to Atlas. We'll probably start with the military base."

Nora and Ren exchanged a knowing, unhappy look.

"Let me guess, you guys were denied entry?" Fox asked.

"Yeah," Pyrrha said. "They're locked down tight."

"Come on, it couldn't be that bad," Yang said.

"Atlas completely sealed its borders after Beacon," Fox said. "Ironwood's not a fool. If he wants the borders closed, they're probably almost airtight. Maybe not back when Weiss ran away, but now for sure."

"Well, we'll just have to give it a try tomorrow," Ruby said.

"True," Blake said. "We won't know until we try."

"Debatable, but sure," Fox said. "We've got no other plans for tomorrow, so why not."

They all continued to eat, Saphron continuing to tease Jaune, before eventually everyone decided to head to bed. They all found a place to sleep, Fox and Blake ending up on a blow-up mattress in the living room with Qrow, Oscar, and Ruby. And for the first night in weeks, Fox was able to sleep without nightmares or memories assaulting him.

* * *

Fox crossed his arms, staring at the gate guard. "You don't seem to understand. We have to talk to General Ironwood. It's a matter of life and death for the entire world, that _includes_ Atlas."

"You don't seem to understand that you're not getting inside," The gate guard said. "I wouldn't care if you were General Ironwood's long-lost son. My orders say no one gets in, so no one gets in. Now have a nice day."

And with that, he pulled a lever, the gate slamming shut and locking magnetically.

* * *

Leave a review.

 _ **I'm accepting applications for any OCs to have either cameo or maybe join the group for a while, depending on how detailed the description of them and how the story progresses. Don't forget, Fox's team still has an open spot. I'll keep the best one as a replacement. Oh, also, any original Grimm you want to appear in the story, feel free to leave that in a review as well.**_


	29. Chapter 29

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Denied

Fox stared at the two guards on the other side of the gate. Yang slammed her hands into the gate, growling angrily.

"You didn't even hear us out!" Yang said.

"Our orders are very clear," the gate guard on the right, the two of them seeming to be twins, said. "The Mistral Atlas border is closed."

"Please," the other said.

"Have a good day," the first said.

"But-"

"A good day!" both snapped, interrupting Yang, who groaned irritably, turning away from the gate.

"Look, if you don't want to believe I'm friends with Ironwood-" Qrow began.

" _General_ Ironwood!" both guards said, their bodies swaying in a circle as they said general.

"...Yeah," Qrow said. " _General_ Ironwood, that's fine. But we have Weiss Schnee here and we're just trying to get her home safe."

The two looked at each other before turning back to the front. "Approach."

Weiss walked over to stand in front of the gate and both bent down, Fox wondering how much of her they could actually see with their hats' visors in front of their eyes. Finally, they straightened back up.

"Very well," they said. "You may speak with our commanding officer. We will fetch her at once."

Then, they turned, beginning to jog away with their knees above their waists, saying "hup hup hup" with every step. Fox sighed, resting his face in his hand.

"These two are going to give me a headache," Fox said, Blast slipping a hand into his. "I'm alright."

"Hm," Maria hummed.

"What's wrong?" Oscar asked.

"Well I...may know this commanding officer," Maria said.

"That's good isn't it?" Ruby asked. "If she's your friend, maybe she'd be more willing to help us."

"I wouldn't exactly call us friends," Maria said.

"Acquaintances?" Weiss asked.

"Not quite," Maria said.

"Colleges?" Blake asked.

"Former," Maria said.

"Enemies?" Yang asked nervously.

"That's the one!" Maria smiled.

"Wait, what?" Oscar asked before sighing.

"Oh yes, I come through here about once every ten years to get my eyes checked up at Atlas," Maria said. "You bring outside cashews on one flight and suddenly you're placed on the additional screening list for life!"

"You've gotta be kidding me," Qrow sighed.

"Now now, let's not give up hope yet, maybe she's dead," Maria said.

Suddenly, the gates opened again and the two guards from before stepped through.

"Introducing..." the first said.

"Special operative..." the second said.

"Caroline Cordoven!" both said.

After a moment, a short woman about Maria's height walked out wearing an Atlas officer's uniform and a superior smirk. She walked over and stopped in front of Maria.

"Witch," she said.

"She devil," Maria said.

"Hm, I see you've chosen not to smuggle contraband this time," Caroline said.

"Oh Cordo," Maria smiled. "You know they say time changes people. But I see you've still got that stick right up-"

"So!" Ruby interrupted, shoving down Maria's hand, with which she was gesturing as though shoving a stick up something. "Miss...uh...Cordoven...uh...My name is Ruby Rose, and I was wondering if you would hear us out about-"

"I've already heard what your _other_ little friends had to say about it, miss Rose," Caroline said, looking past them and seeing Team JNPR standing a little ways down the bridge. "What are you doing back here!? I thought I told you to leave!"

"And I told you we wouldn't leave until you let us through!" Nora shouted back, Jaune and Ren holding her back.

"Nice to see you again as well!" Ren said, waving.

"You civilians are clearly incapable of understanding the importance of our mission here in Argus," Caroline said. "So allow me to say this slowly with smaller words. This base, that relay tower, the very safety of Argus are all gifts from the glorious kingdom of Atlas. And it is my duty to uphold them, as only I have the wit and tenacity for such a task."

"Such wit!" one of the guards said.

"Such tenacity!" the other said.

"Or maybe Atlas just wanted to get you as far from the kingdom as possible," Maria said.

"You're just like the rest of these Argus ingrates!" Caroline spat. "This city wouldn't even be here if it weren't for our Elysian ancestors, and what do we get in return!? The entire world is ready to put a knife to our throats!"

"With that attitude, I can't imagine why," Fox said, rolling his eyes. "No one blames Atlas for the Fall of Beacon. The only reason the borders were closed is because the organization that _is_ behind it are very dangerous and may want into Atlas. But we _know_ General Ironwood."

"No one is happy about the Atlas borders, or embargo, but I know General Atlas is just worried," Weiss offered. "It's why we need to talk to-

"The general is no coward!" Caroline spat as though personally offended. "Atlas is strong! If all the kingdoms plan to make us their enemy then so be it! Atlas will prevail!"

"Atlas will prevail!" the two guards said, stepping up beside her.

"Do you guys seriously have to do that?" Blake asked.

Caroline took a long breath. "If Miss Schnee has truly come to her senses and wishes to return to her family, then of course the Atlas Military will escort her home. But the kingdom will not be responsible for her _friends_ of..." she turned to stare at Blake. "...Questionable character."

"The fuck did you just say?" Fox snarled, stepping forward, ears tilting forward and irises glowing. "Do you have a problem with Faunus, bitch?"

"Fox," Blake said, catching his shoulder. "It's alright. It doesn't matter."

Fox glared at the woman for another moment before taking a breath and forcing himself under control. "Sorry."

"As I said," Caroline said. "We're done here."

And then, she walked back through the gate with the guards, who slammed the gate and locked it again a moment later. Fox glared after her before turning away.

"You okay?" Blake asked.

"Yeah," Fox said. "I just hate her, is all."

"I don't..." Weiss trailed off.

"Weiss, I told you we wouldn't leave your side for a second," Ruby said. "We'll find a way to Atlas, together."

Weiss smiled and nodded and Qrow turned, beginning to walk away.

"So, where are we going now?" Ruby asked him.

"Yeah, what's the plan?" Nora asked.

"The plan?" Qrow asked. "The plan just got shut on our face three times over. I'm..." he sighed. "I'm going shopping."

"Qrow," Fox said.

"Relax," Qrow said. "I'm not going drinking."

Then, he turned, walking away.

"What's his problem?" Jaune asked. "It's not your fault we can't go on."

"If he's gonna be a jerk then we'll just come up with something without him," Nora said. "I mean, we've got Ozpin with us. He usually knows what to do."

"Yeah...about that," Fox sighed.

"What happened?" Pyrrha asked.

"There's something we need to tell you guys," Ava said. "But, we wanted to wait until the Relic was safe. Since that's not going to happen for a while, we should head back to Jaune's sister's house."

Jaune and the others exchanged confused looks before nodding, all of them heading back toward the house.

* * *

Jaune slammed his fist into the wall, cratering it.

"Jaune!" Ruby said.

"Everything we did was for nothing!" Jaune spat.

"That's not true," Blake said.

"Really?" Nora asked. "Because it sure does sound like it."

"I...um..." Blake trailed off.

"If Salem can't be killed, then how are we supposed to win this?" Ren asked.

Everyone was silent for a long moment.

"Wow, great plan everyone," Jaune said.

"Look, none of this is great, we know," Oscar said. "But we're not the bad guys here."

"Are we sure about that?" Jaune asked, Fox's head snapping around to stare at him.

"What?" Oscar asked.

"He's in _your_ head, isn't he?" Jaune asked, walking over to Oscar. "Did you already know about this!?"

"He didn't know any of it!" Weiss said, less than a second before Jaune grabbed him by the front of his shirt, slamming him into the wall.

"How much longer can we even trust him!?" Jaune demanded.

"Jaune!" Yang shouted.

"How do we even know it's really him!?" Jaune demanded. "What if we've been talking to that liar this whole time!?"

"Jaune!" Ruby shouted.

Fox grabbed Jaune by the back of the neck, squeezing and making Jaune instantly release Oscar, gritting his teeth in pain and sinking to his knees. "Oscar is not Ozpin. I know Ozpin. I can recognize Ozpin. Hurting Oscar will not change the fact that we're fighting an immortal monster. I'm sorry that we don't have the answers you want. I'm sorry that saving the world isn't easy. But if you don't want to help anymore," he turned his hand, making Jaune look at the building's front door, "there's the door. You're free to walk out it any time you want. But if you _do_ walk out, do _not_ come back. I'm going to keep looking, and keep fighting until I find a way to, at the very least, seal Salem away. If you don't want to do that, that's fine. I'll do it alone if I have to."

He released Jaune and Jaune stood, staring at him for a moment before turning and storming up the stairs.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Yang asked.

"I don't know!" Nora snapped, then stood, also storming up the stairs.

"I think it would be best if we had some time to ourselves," Ren said, following her.

Fox turned to Pyrrha.

"I was going to sacrifice myself for him," Pyrrha said. "For a lie."

"No," Fox said. "We _did_ need to stop Cinder getting the powers of the Spring Maiden. And we _do_ need to protect the Relics. Even if we can't kill her, she _cannot_ be allowed to wield the power of the Relics. No one should."

Pyrrha sighed heavily and stood. "I don't know what I'm going to do. But I'll talk to Jaune and get him to settle down."

Fox nodded and she walked up the stairs, leaving the rest of them alone.

"Maybe...we could...all use some space," Yang suggested.

The others all nodded, Oscar staring at the door.

"Oscar," Fox said. "You are not Ozpin. And you may never _be_ Ozpin. There have been times when he and his host didn't combine. It all depends on you."

Oscar nodded. "Thanks."

Fox nodded and glanced at Blake. "I'm going to go and get something to eat."

"Right behind you," Blake said, standing.

They left the house together and found a small tea shop, getting some food and tea. Then, a few hours of shopping later, Fox's scroll buzzed.

"What's up?" Fox asked.

"Oscar's missing!"

* * *

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	30. Chapter 30

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Last Night

Fox sighed, sipping at his tea and hoping it would alleviate his headache. It was a stress headache, and an annoyance one. First they had spent all day in the cold, looking for Oscar, only to return to the house and find he was there waiting for them, in the middle of cooking dinner and wearing a new blue jacket, tape around his neck and collar, a white button-up shirt under it, black pant, and red boots. He and Jaune had apologized for their argument, and they had all gone inside. The next reason Fox was annoyed had been passed out on the steps when they got back home, Qrow. Drunk. Again. Then, lastly, there was Jaune's plan for getting to Atlas. They were going to steal a ship from the base.

"You okay?" Blake asked. "You've hardly said a word since...well, actually since we found Qrow."

"Yeah," Fox sighed. "Sorry. I'm just...worried. Qrow was right. If this goes sideways...we don't walk away from this. We'll be in prison. Maybe executed. This is...this is crossing _a lot_ of lines."

"I know," Blake said. "But we have to try something, and Penny's not answering our calls."

"Yeah," Fox sighed. "I just..."

"I know," Blake smiled, reaching across the table and taking his hand. "You don't have to always be protecting me. I can handle myself for most things."

"I know you can," Fox smiled, squeezing her hand lightly. "In reality, you're more protecting me now. Without you, my memories would have killed me by now."

"We'll find some way to stop that," Blake said. "I promise."

"I believe you," Fox smiled. "But, for tonight, I don't...think I'll be sleeping too well. Can we get a hotel? I'd rather...I'd rather not let anyone else see me like that."

"Of course," Blake smiled. "Whatever you need."

Fox smiled, giving her hand another light squeeze before sipping at his tea. "What'd I ever do to deserve you?"

"You understood," Blake smiled.

Fox smiled as well and they finished their tea in a comfortable silence before Fox messaged Ava that they wouldn't be back for the night, and would meet them in the morning, along with why they weren't coming back. Ava responded that she'd pass it along, and Fox and Blake walked into the city to find a relatively cheap hotel for the night. After a little while, they found one that didn't cost too much and Fox rented them a room for the night. They stepped into the elevator and rode it up in silence, Fox feeling Blake's worried glances but not saying anything. Finally, they reached their floor and followed the hallway to their room, Fox opening the door for Blake then closing it behind them, looking around the room. It was huge. It had a massive bathroom complete with a walk-in shower with a frosted glass door instead of a curtain, a single king-sized bed with an intricately carved wooden headboard, a hundred inch TV mounted to the wall, and when Fox walked out onto the balcony, he saw it had a beautiful view of the ocean to the west, allowing them to watch the sunset.

"This is amazing," Blake breathed. "How was it so cheap?"

"They probably haven't been getting much business since Atlas closed its borders," Fox guessed.

"Fair enough," Blake nodded, leaning on the railing beside him, both watching the sun as it slowly sank below the horizon.

Fox stepped over, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing the back of her shoulder. Blake tilted her head to the side a bit and one of her hands reached back to begin combing through his hair as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I love you," Fox said after a while.

"I love you too," Blake said, turning around in his arms and looking up at him worriedly. "Fox, talk to me."

Fox sighed, resting his forehead against hers. "You're so...perfect."

Blake's brow furrowed in confusion and worry. "What do you mean?"

"You're beautiful, you're patient, kind," Fox listed. "You're willing to stay at my side at all times, even though it means you won't be able to have any freedom of your own. You're...perfect. You're my whole world."

"Fox, you're scaring me," Blake said. "Please, tell me what's wrong."

Fox sighed. "I just..." He sighed, shaking his head. "I need to ask you something. And, I want you to try to answer as honestly as you can."

"Of course," Blake said, cupping his cheek. "Ask me anything."

Fox reached up to her hand, kissing her palm before lowering it, bringing his other hand up to it, pressing the object he had snuck out of his pocket into it. Blake blinked twice, turning her hand over and opening it.

"Will you marry me?" Fox asked as Blake stared at the ring, a disconnected loop of emerald with the two ends being a cat head and a fox head respectively.

Blake stared at the ring a moment longer, then at Fox, then back to the ring. Tears began to run out of her eyes before she began to laugh, wiping at her eyes.

"You fucking asshole!" Blake laughed. "Jeez! You scared the shit out of me! I thought you were trying to break up, or tell me you were dying! Jeez Fox! Yes, of course I'll marry you!"

Fox smiled, kissing her as he slipped the ring onto her finger. The moment the ring was on, she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him tight against herself, Fox's hands doing the same on the small of her back. After a moment, Blake's tongue hesitantly began to trail over his lip, Fox's tongue meeting hers after barely a second. Blake made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a moan, pressing tighter against him as their tongues began to dance together, Blake's slipping past his to explore his mouth. As she did, Fox instinctively pulled her tighter, Blake's hips pressing against his, Blake shifting them as he did. Fox groaned, stepping forward and pressing her back against the low wall around the balcony, Blake gasping before grinning and pressing herself against him harder, shifting her hips more constantly.

Fox pulled back from the kiss and began to kiss and lick his way down the side of her neck to her pulse point, Blake moaning as he reached it, her hands clutching at his shoulders as though afraid she might collapse. Fox smiled. Maybe for once his memories might actually be useful. He may not have done it before in this life, but he _did_ know what to do. He moved back up to kiss her again and as he did, his hands slid down, lifting her by her ass, Blake instantly wrapping her legs around him. He turned, walking quickly to the bed and setting her on her back gently. Then, he started back down her neck, stopping at her pulse point, nipping at her skin this time, Blake moaning as he did, rocking her hips up against his.

He continued down only to stop within an inch as he reached the collar of her top. He pulled back, giving her an exasperated look, and she simply smiled, sitting up and kissing him as she shrugged off her jacket and tossed it aside. Then, she lifted her top up, pulling it over her head, using one of her hands to stretch the collar so it would come off, then dropped it with her jacket. Fox's breath caught in his throat instantly as his eyes drank in the sight before him, instantly and rapidly memorizing every detail.

"You're so beautiful," he breathed, Blake blushing but smiling.

"And you've only seen half of it," Blake smirked, winking.

"I only needed to see your face to know," Fox said, kissing her again.

After a moment, he began to work his way down her neck once again, pausing at the hollow spot between her neck and shoulder when she moaned loudly, hips pressing tight to his. He spent several seconds there, earning a couple more moans and leaving a dark bruise behind when he finally moved, on, smiling. He felt a sense of accomplishment at having marked her, sort of like it was evidence that she was his. Not in the sense of he owned her, but in the sense of he was lucky enough to be with her. Finally, he reached her chest, beginning to worship every centimeter of her breasts, pulling a sting of moans from her lips as he worked, diligently and carefully using what he had leaned in past lives to his advantage, getting her skin more and more sensitive. By the time he began to focus on one of her nipples, it was already stiff and Blake moaned loudly as he took it into his mouth, beginning to flick it with his tongue as he gently bit down on it. His left hand was keeping her right breast from feeling left out and her hips were rocking near constantly against his thigh. Fox smiled, sliding his right hand up her left forearm to her own hand, intertwining their fingers.

Finally, he released her nipple, trailing kisses over to the other, Blake refusing to release his hand when he tried to move it to her newly freed breast. He smiled, obliging her wish to keep his hand in hers and focused his attention on making her feel as good as possible. After several more minutes, he began to trail kisses downward, listening to Blake's gasps and whimpers as he made his way downward, glad he had managed to make her so sensitive. He moved his free hand to her belt as he approached, quickly undoing it, then unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans. Then, as he reached her waistband, he took his right hand back long enough to pull her pants and underwear off of her legs quickly, kissing his way down her right leg as he allowed himself to take in the sight of her completely nude form, from her soaked, clean-shaven womanhood, to the bright pink blush across her cheeks. He smiled, returning his focus to the task at hand, working his way back up her leg, then kissing up and around where she wanted him, and where he wanted to go, working his way down her other leg instead. Then, he worked his way back up again.

"Fox, please," Blake whimpered as he began to go around her core again.

Fox smiled, finally moving to her core, starting with her clit and making her moan loudly. He began to trail his tongue through her slit, instantly finding himself addicted to her taste, which reminded him of cherries, lapping her juices up hungrily. After a few seconds, he closed his lips around her swollen clit, flicking it with his tongue a few times before releasing it and beginning to collect her juices again, his right arm reached around her left leg ad beginning to rub her clit in quick, fast circles. Blake's moans began to grow louder quickly, Blake's hips rocking and bucking as he quickly pushed her closer and closer to release. However, he was far from done. He focused, channeling a tiny amount of energy to his finger tips and Blake suddenly bucked, crying out in pleasure and surprise, her cries continuing every couple of seconds as he continued to work her clit. Her hands clutched at his head, holding him in place tightly and he happily remained there, lapping up her juices as fast as she was releasing them. Then, suddenly, her voice fell silent and Fox locked his lips tightly around her entrance just before her hips bucked once more and her juices began to spray out of her, Blake managing to force out a harsh gasp before falling silent again.

Fox happily drank her juices, keeping her going for nearly a minute before slowly easing her down from her orgasm. However, just as she finally touched back down on Remnant from her visit to cloud nine, Fox reached up, slipping two fingers into her thoroughly lubricated entrance. He began quickly thrusting them in and out, Blake beginning to cry out in pleasure again, hips once again bucking against him, Fox having replaced his fingers with his tongue this time, slipping his right hand into Blake's left again, feeling her clinging to his hand as though her life depended on it. He smiled, continuing as he was for a few more minutes, feeling her insides quivering around his fingers before channelling energy to the tip of his tongue and to his fingers as he turned them over and pressed upward with each thrust, pressing them into that spot deep inside her that would have sent her crashing over the edge again anyway. Instead, her entire body arched off the bed instantly, his name leaping from her lips in a full-voiced scream before she fell silent, unable to even breathe. Finally, he began to ease her back down, slipping his fingers out of her entrance once she had collapsed into a limp, panting heap on the bed.

He licked his fingers clean quickly and moved up to lay beside her, wrapping his arms around her and smiling as she whimpered as her hips shifted, before rolling over to lay on top of him, beginning to purr slightly. As she did, she blushed profusely, burying her head in his chest, seemingly unable to stop herself purring. Fox smiled, able to feel her purring making her entire body vibrate. After a moment, she pushed herself up, kissing him. He kissed her back, the kiss slow and gentle for a long while before Blake's tongue slipped into his mouth, his own meeting hers, both beginning to dance again. Fox smiled, feeling her hands slip under his shirt, running over his torso for several minutes before Blake sat up, pulling his shirt up. Fox pulled it over his head and dropped it off to the side and Blake began to trail her fingers over his shoulders and torso, tracing his muscle groups for several seconds before kissing him again. After a moment, she began to trail kisses down the side of his neck, pausing to nip at his neck before sucking on the spot hard. He chuckled, knowing exactly what she was doing. She was doing what he had. Marking her territory. Finally she continued, mumbling something about payback, before beginning to kiss her way down his torso. After a moment of fumbling, she managed to remove his pants and underwear, staring at his member in surprise.

He had never really given much thought to whether or not he was average or to which side of it he fell, nor had he ever, in any lifetime, been the type to care. For all the amazing things he could do with his Semblance, he couldn't change the physical size of his body, so there was really no point in caring. However, from the way Blake was looking at it, he assumed he must have gotten lucky in this lifetime. Maybe. She reached up, wrapping her hand around it and stroking it a few times slowly before trailing her tongue the length of it. Then, she looked up at him, maintaining eye contact as she trailed her tongue around his head before slowly taking him into her mouth, sinking lower slowly. He groaned as her mouth slowly enveloped him, her tongue not stopping moving against him for even a second as she did. About three quarters of the way down, he felt himself hit the back of her throat and she stopped, beginning to bob her head. Sado groaned again, Blake taking it as encouragement and beginning to speed up, one of her hands stroking the part she couldn't take. However, after a minute or so, she stopped, taking as much of him into her mouth as she could again before taking a large breath and beginning to force herself to take the rest of him in. He groaned loudly, fighting not to push her head down. Finally, she managed to get him in fully and began to bob her head again, this time able to get all the way down each time. Fox moaned gripping the bed sheets in order to keep himself as close to under control as he could. Suddenly, as though she thought she wasn't doing well enough, she began to purr, the vibrations sending his head spinning through the clouds as she quickly worked him closer and closer to the edge.

"Blake," Sado groaned out. "Jesus. I can't..."

Blake began to speed up, purring more loudly, the vibrations getting stronger as she did. Finally, Fox snapped, hips bucking upward as he unloaded himself into her throat, Blake quickly and easily swallowing his seed, keeping him hilt-deep as she did, the contractions of her swallowing helping to milk every drop out of him. Finally, she pulled back to breathe, catching one last wave of semen in her mouth and swallowing it before releasing his member. Fox groaned, releasing the sheet as Blake moved up and kissed him. He kissed her back, internally grimacing as he tasted himself on her tongue, but forced himself to ignore it. After several moments, he rolled them over, lining himself up with her entrance, slowly beginning to push himself into her. As soon as he felt her wet, hot tunnel squeezing him almost painfully, he had to fight not to hilt himself then and there. He groaned, slowly pushing into her as Blake's face scrunched up in a mixture of discomfort and pleasure, a moan slipping out of her mouth. Fox kissed her, continuing to push into her until he was fully seated.

He realized suddenly that he wasn't her first. He felt a pit form in his stomach, though he wasn't sure why. He wasn't really surprised by the realization. She was beautiful. And she had been with Adam for years. It was perfectly understandable that they had been together. But still he felt...jealous, he decided was a good word for it, that he wasn't. Or maybe inferior. It was complicated. He wasn't mad, didn't blame her, and understood perfectly that it shouldn't matter because it was natural for people who were together for as long as Blake and Adam were to be intimate. Hell, he and Blake hadn't been together for more than a month and they were now. And yet, even while all that was true, he still felt jealous, disappointed, inferior. Like he suddenly wasn't special. Like he suddenly had to prove his worth somehow.

Blake seemed to realize something was off, because she pulled back from the kiss, staring up at him as tears leaked from her eyes. "I'm sorry. I wish I could have given it to you instead."

Fox felt his heart break inside of his chest and kissed her, willing her to feel how much he loved her. "It doesn't matter. I love you, and nothing will ever change that."

Blake smiled, nodding and kissing him again, beginning to rock her hips against him. Fox began to move, pulling out and pushing back in slowly, Blake whimpering a couple of times before slowly beginning to rock back against him a little harder. Fox took that as a hint to pick up the pace and began to put some more force into his thrusts, Blake gasping and moaning as he did. He moved his right hand to her clit, his thumb rubbing quickly circles over her clit, Blake's moans quickly growing more shrill and desperate. Fox groaned as her fingernails bit into the back of his shoulders. Then, suddenly, she gasped harshly, insides clamping around his member, nearly forcing him over the edge with her, however, he used his Semblance to form a sort of wall to keep himself from finishing, though as a side effect, his member became so sensitive that every twitch and spasm of her insides burned almost painfully from overstimulation. Fox continued to thrust into her for several more seconds before Blake rolled them over, getting on top so he would stop, her orgasm making her hips jerk and buck, moving her on him anyway, though slowly coming to an end. Once she had come back down, she groaned, raising her hips slightly before settling on him again.

"You didn't...finish?" Blake asked.

"N...Not yet," Fox said, struggling to hole the barrier in place through the feeling of her insides still quivering around him.

Blake took a few more seconds to gather herself and recover before beginning to move her hips again, quickly picking up speed again until she was raising and dropping her hips rapidly, Fox thrusting up into her in time with her drops. Blake began to moan loudly as the minutes began to tick by, and still Fox kept the barrier in place. He didn't want to be done yet. He couldn't. He wanted Blake to enjoy herself as much as she could. And some part of him still wanted to prove he was better than Adam.

Blake's face began to scrunch up in effort, a light sheen of sweat beginning to cling to her. Her moans began to grow louder and more desperate again, and her insides began to tremble around Fox. Fox was struggling to hold the barrier in place as well, but he forced himself to despite how badly every touch and brush from Blake was making him burn with the need to finish. He moved a hand to her hip, thumb beginning to work her cit as he sent a little bit of energy to his thumb as well, Blake almost instantly crying out in pleasure, juices spraying out around his member as she bucked and spasmed on top of him, hips still jerking up and down near-frantically. Finally, she collapsed onto his chest, panting and gasping for breath.

"I'm sorry," Blake said, tears forming in her eyes. "I can't. I can't...go any...longer."

Fox's eyes widened, guilt filling him. She felt bad, believing she hadn't been good enough. He reached down, kissing her.

"It's alright," Fox said.

"No it's not," Blake said. "You didn't finish."

Fox gently ran a hand through her hair. "If I do the work, can you go one more?"

Blake looked up at him for a moment before nodding. "I'll try."

Fox kissed her again, rolling them so that he was on top, not breaking the kiss as he began to thrust into her, Blake whimpering into the kiss, apparently still hypersensitive. Fox kept his pace slow for the first few minutes until he felt Blake rolling her hips against him.

"Faster," Blake said. "Please."

Fox complied with her request, thrusting into her more quickly again, quickly picking up the pace again until Blake was crying out in pleasure with each thrust. Fox latched onto Blake's neck where he had left a hickie before, once again struggling to hold himself back. After a couple more minutes, he felt Bake begin to quiver around him again, Blake's hands clinging to his forearms as her face began to contort in pleasure.

"I'm...so...close," Blake managed to force out.

"Me too," Fox panted.

"Inside," Blake said. "Please. I need it inside."

Fox hesitated, before nodding, kissing her and forcing himself to slam into her harder and faster. Then, just as Blake's insides clamped down around him, Fox finally let his barrier fade, burying himself as deep inside of her as he could, his seed flooding into her rapidly, Blake crying out in pleasure as it did. She managed to lock her legs around his waist, holding him inside, allowing him enough space to thrust slightly, helping empty himself as her insides spasmed and milked his member dry. Finally, Fox felt himself finally empty and rolled, pulling Blake onto his chest, Blake still shaking and gasping for breath, slowly coming back down from her own orgasm.

"I love you," Fox whispered, kissing the top of her head as he pulled the blanket and sheet up over them.

"I love you too," Blake smiled, finally beginning to settle, barely able to stay awake. "Can we pretend that was my first too?"

"We can say whatever you want," Sado smiled, kissing her. "Get some sleep. We've got a busy day tomorrow."

"I don't think I'll be able to walk tomorrow," Blake smiled. "I can't even feel my legs right now."

Fox chuckled. "That's alright. If we need to, I can carry you on my back."

Blake smiled, nodding and almost instantly falling asleep. Fox smiled, kissing the top of her head before setting his own head down and also drifting off to sleep.

* * *

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	31. Chapter 31

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Disrupted Plans

Fox silently slipped over the fence, staring up at the radio tower before them. He and Blake were assigned to take down the long distance radar before Weiss could get back. That wasn't a hard task. There weren't even any guards. And then they had Yang on stand by just in case things got out of hand and they needed her help.

"Be careful," Blake whispered. "I'll be quick."

"I'll be fine," Fox promised. "It's only a couple hundred feet."

Blake nodded and kissed him quickly before turning and starting up the tower. As she did, Fox drew his sword, looking around before raising a hand to his communicator.

"We're about to shut off the tower," Fox said. "On your signal."

Just then, a metal clash reached his ears and Blake screamed. Fox spun, looking up to see Blake fighting an unwelcome guest at the top of the tower. Adam. Fox growled in rage, leaping and blasting off the ground, flipping as he passed the platform, then slashing downward at Adam, forcing him to leap away. Adam flipped, landing on his feet in time for both Blake and Fox's blades to crash into his, hurling him off the tower. Adam crashed down hard outside of the fence line, rolling down the hill outside.

"Shut the tower down," Fox said. "I'll deal with him."

"I can't," Blake said. "He slashed the controls."

Fox glanced at the controls before sighing. "Figures." He raised his hand to his communicator. "Bad news. The controls are shot. We can't turn the tower off."

"How?" Ruby asked.

"Adam," Fo said. "We're dealing with him now."

"We'll figure this out," Ruby said. "Be careful."

"Please," Fox said, twirling his sword. "After everything that's happened? I'm going to thoroughly enjoy this."

He jumped off the tower, landing at the top of the hill and skidding down it quickly, Blake following after a moment. Adam had moved further than Fox thought. After about four minutes, they reached an open area where Adam was waiting, sword drawn, shotgun in his free hand, and with a black cloth over his face where he had once worn his mask.

"You and masks," Fox said. "I liked the last one better than this."

"Have you fucked the whore yet?" Adam asked.

"Watch your mouth," Fox snarled, emerald energy rolling along his blade. "You've caused her enough pain, Adam. You're a cancer. A parasite. And I'm cutting you off."

" _I_ hurt _her_?" Adam scoffed. "I bet she swore to stay by your side, right? I bet she told you she loves you, and that she'll never leave you. Maybe agreed to marry you. You're not the first. Not the first for the promise of being with her. Not the first to be engaged to her. Not the first to fuck her. I bet she never told you all the things she did while she was int the White Fang. She's a whore."

"If you open your mouth one more fucking time, I'll tear you limb from limb," Fox snarled.

"Try me," Adam smirked, sword glowing red.

"Fox don't!" Blake said, but it was too late.

Fox shot forward, slashing rapidly at Adam, who deflected the blows rapidly, sword glowing brighter and brighter red as they fought. Finally, Adam leapt back from a slash and landed on his feet, slashing and sending a wall of blood red energy at Fox. Fox flipped aside from the strike and blocked a slash from Adam, slamming a kick into his gut, hurling him backward. As Adam landed on his feet, Blake landed behind him, slashing, only for Adam to spin, deflecting the blade, then blocking Blake's sheath. Instantly, he turned, using his shotgun to deflect Fox's blade before taking a shot at him, the blast being blocked by Fox's semblance-enhanced aura. However, it bought Adam enough time to step around Blake, kicking her in the back and throwing her at Fox.

Fox caught her and Adam shot forward, slashing through them, both fading. Then, he spun, blocking their swords again, being hurled backward from the impact. He landed on his feet, growling as his body turned black, except his sword and hair, which glowed the color of blood. Then, he was off, moving in a blur. Fox spun, deflecting a slash, then another, and another. Blake blocked the next, then Fox used his sword to block a shot from Adam's gun.

"You can't have a whole lot of energy left to keep fighting like this, can you?" Fox asked.

"Just enough," Adam growled.

Fox's brow furrowed just as Adam's sword skipped off of his in a feint. Then, it swung around at Blake. Fox swore internally, ramming his shoulder into Blake, hurling her out of the way before Adam's sword crashed into his aura over his throat. Then, it began to crash into him again and again. Fox grit his teeth, focusing on keeping his aura up as he was battered by Adam's strikes, Adam moving too fast for Fox to be able to counter. Then, finally, Adam stopped, the glow fading from his sword as he watched Fox's semblance shimmering over his body.

"You really are a monster," Adam snarled.

"You're one to talk," Fox said. "After everything you've done. You don't get to judge."

"I'm going to kill you," Adam said. "And then I'm going to take her back and remind her why she used to beg for me to keep going."

"Ouch," Fox said. "Weren't quite good enough huh? It's alright. I never expected you to be."

"You son of a bitch!" Adam snarled.

"Look up," I say.

A moment later, Yang's bike slammed into Adam, launching him backward before bouncing over him and splashing down in the water. Fox smirked as Adam stood, growling in rage and turning toward the three of them.

"Yang, his semblance is to store energy in his sword and redirect it, the same way you can," Fox said.

"He can reflect energy without feeling it?" Yang asked. "That's just cheating."

Adam shouted in rage, charging, and Fox moved to meet him, Yang just behind him. Fox deflected Adam's first slash and Yang flipped over him, blasting Adam back a step before landing in front of him and beginning to pummel him, every strike sending out a blast. After the sixth, however, Adam began to block the strikes with his sword, slashing back every couple of strikes. As he did, Fox stepped up beside Yang, helping her fight Adam, forcing him backward rapidly, their combined attacks more than enough to overwhelm Adam. Finally, he shouted in rage, ducking under a slash from Fox as he blocked a punch from Yang with his sword, then slammed a kick into Fox and turned, slashing downward at Yang, sword suddenly glowing. Yang shouted in surprise as a massive blast of red energy exploded into her crossed arms, sending her skidding backward, her prosthetic arm bearing several scratches.

"Yang!" Blake shouted worriedly.

"I'm fine," Yang said, glaring at Adam, even as her left hand trembled. "This is your last warning. Leave us all alone. You're not wanted."

"I've already made my choice," Adam said, gripping his sword, beginning to darken, his sword and hair glowing.

Then, as Blake slashed at him, he took off, his sword slamming into her aura and hurling her back before he and yang began to duke it out. Fox lunged, slashing at Adam, who blocked it and kicked him aside. However, just as Fox flipped and landed on his feet, Adam blasted Yang from point blank range with all of is accumulated energy, sending her flying backward.

"Well Yang?" Adam asked. "Is that all you've got? You really haven't improved at all since we last fought have you?"

"Yes I have," Yang said, pushing herself up and readying herself. "But I'm not alone."

"You've got to deal with both of us too," Fox said as he and Blake stepped up beside Yang.

Fox glanced at Blake, seeing she was only holding her sheath. He looked back and realized her sword had been broken in half when she had been slashed. He hadn't even realized it.

"If I have to go through you to get to Blake, fine," Adam said. "But Fox? Him I'm going to enjoy killing. No one steals from me."

"Steal?" Fox snorted. "Do you know how much work Blake had to put in to make me make a move? No, I didn't steal anything. Blake never belonged to you. And you drove her away by being yourself."

Adam snarled in rage, raising his sword and stepping forward, only for the ground between the two opposing sides to explode, throwing them all. Adam had been the furthest away, and as such, had escaped most of the blast. Fox had shielded himself and Blake with his Semblance, and Yang had tanked the blast. As Fox stood, watching the dust, he felt his skin begin to crawl. His gut dropped and emerald-colored energy surged over his body, coating him like a second skin. Then, the dust cleared in the blink of an eye as the Grimm in the center of the crater shot out of the dust at Fox.

Fox managed to get his sword up just in time for the grimm's much, much larger sword to crash into it, Fox skidding backward as the grimm's momentum forced him backward before they skidded to a stop. Everyone else stared at the grimm, even as Fox shoved the sword aside, the two beginning to clash rapidly. The grimm was tall, nearly double Fox's height with a rough, spiked, bone claymore that it was using to fight Fox, who had his own sword's handle extended into a two handed one to deal with the grimm's monstrous strength. The grimm had darkness in the form of a cape and white bone chunks with red cracks covering it as a suit of plate armor with a pair of massive horns sticking up from the sides of its head. It had spikes on its shoulders and elbows, and looked like a twisted sort of knight.

Fox ducked under a slash from the grimm's sword and slashed back, the grimm's sword flashing around and batting Fox's away before it slammed the back of its fist into his head, hurling him away. Fox flipped, bouncing once before flipping to his feet, readying himself again, glancing past the grimm, which had its entire focus on him, to where Blake and Yang were fighting Adam together. Fox returned his attention to the grimm. He recognized it. It was a twisted, demonic recreation, but he recognized one of his five friends who had tried to fight Salem with him. This one was the brute force friend. And now, it was a horrifying threat that wanted exclusively to kill him.

Fox spun out of the way of a downward slash, slashing upward in return, only for the sword to spark off of the grimm's own. Fox stepped forward, stabbing at the grimm, only for it to turn around the blade, then slash upward at Fox. Fox stepped off of its arms, sailing into the air before flipping, sword opening into a bow as he turned toward the grimm again. He pulled the bow back, sending the arrow slamming down on the grimm, making it stagger backward, armor cracking. Then, as Fox landed, the green energy over his body intensifying as he streaked forward, sword crashing into the grimm's rapidly, the grimm staggering backward as it did. Then, the grimm drove its own sword down into the ground, the next impact against it jarring Fox's arms badly enough that he dropped his sword, staggering backward. The grimm lunged stabbing at Fox. Fox knocked the blade aside by the flat of it, then slammed a punch into its chest, forcing it backward. Then another, and another. Finally, he jumped, flipping and slamming a kick into the side of the grimm's head, hurling it away.

He grabbed his sword and spun, just in time to block Adam's sword. He shoved the blade aside, looking past Adam, where Yang was standing between Blake, who was exhausted and barely standing, and the grimm, who seemed to have finally taken notice of them.

"No you fucking don't!" Fox snarled, shoving Adam's sword away so hard that Adam went flying. Then, he shot forward, the grimm spinning instantly and blocking Fox's sword with his own. "Stay the fuck away from them!"

He shoved the sword away, slashing back at the grimm, only for it to catch his sword in its hand.

"You've grown soft," the grimm said, its voice deep and distorted. "You used to be capable of cutting through anything in the blink of an eye. And now..."

He turned, hurling Fox away, and Fox flipped, landing on his feet, glaring back at the grimm, unsure whether to be angry that the grimm was talking down to him, or afraid of the fact that it could talk at all. He raised his sword in time to block a downward slash, the ground under him fracturing, then glanced past the grimm in time to see Yang duking it out with Adam. She still hadn't use her Semblance, from what Fox had seen, but she was clearly running out of strength. Fox shoved the sword aside, then slammed his hand into the ground, a wave of energy shooting out and hurling the grimm away. Then, just as he looked up, Yang caught Adam's sword, her eyes shining red and her hair suddenly glowing like fire. Then, she slammed a punch into Adam's chest, sending him flying backward.

Fox grinned, spinning around the grimm's sword, then slashing at it. This time, he managed to score a scratch up the grimm's armor before its sword crashed into his aura, sending him bouncing backward along the ground, his energy shroud evaporating as he rolled to a stop. Then, as he pushed himself up, he looked to the side in time to see Blake drive the hilt end of her broken sword's blade into Adam's chest, Yang driving the other end through his chest from behind. Then, both ripped the blade outward.

"I don't belong to you Adam," Blake growled as Adam stared between her and his wounds. "Now get out of my life."

Then, he tipped backward, falling over the edge of a cliff. Fox sighed, then rolled to the side, the grimm's sword crashing down where he had been hilting itself in the stone. Fox flipped to his feet, his green energy shroud blazing back to life as he readied himself, Yang and Blake both stepping up beside him.

"No," Fox said. "Both of you run. You're not strong enough to fight him."

"Try us," Yang said. "We're more skilled than we were when we met."

"It's not about skill," Fox said as the grimm wrenched his sword free of the ground and used it to flick Fox's to him. "I mean you're physically not strong enough to fight him."

Both glanced at him worriedly before Fox exploded forward, the ground below him shattering before his sword crashed into the grimm's. The grimm skidded backward this time before Fox flipped over him, kicking at him, only for the grimm to catch his foot, swinging him around and slamming him into the ground, the ground shattering. Fox flipped, slamming his other foot into the grimm's chest, forcing it backward. Then, he rolled to his feet, slashing at the grimm. The grimm moved to block it, only for Fox's sword to smash through the grimm's, finally. The grimm leapt backward from a slash, looking at its sword, then began to laugh. After a moment, the blade spun through the air, rejoining with its other half, before the grimm was enveloped in darkness, streaking into the air and vanishing.

"What was that?" Blake asked.

"A ghost from my past," Fox sighed. "Let's get back to the others."

"Okay," Yang said, then glanced at Blake. "Are you okay?"

"You know, I really am," Blake said, smiling. "I'm finally able to stop being afraid of him. I'm free."

Fox slipped his hand into hers, Blake smiling up at him before they all turned, running back through the trees to the others, who were gathered on a cliff. Before them, with an arm completely encased in ice and stone, was a robot, probably seventy feet tall. And he could hear Cordova's voice screaming at them over a loud speaker.

"What's going on?" Fox asked.

"Fox!" Ruby smiled. "Blake! Yang! You're alright!"

"Yeah," Fox said. "What's going on here?"

"We're in a lot of trouble," Ruby said. "There's a Leviathan on the way to Argus. And we just broke the only thing that can stop it."

"Not the only thing," Fox said, drawing his sword.

"What do you mean?" Blake asked. "You can't be serious!"

"I've done it once before," Fox said. "Or...well...I did about three cycles ago. I'm sure I can do it again now."

"You're exhausted," Blake said. "You just had to fight-"

"He doesn't have to fight it," Ruby said. "There's another way."

"You can't be serious," Qrow asked. "It's too dangerous!"

"Not if she's with me," Ava said, stepping forward. "I can carry her and keep her out of the way while she figures out how to make her eyes work."

"I can draw the Leviathan's attention," Fox said.

"We'll help," Oscar said, sitting in the copilot seat of the ship they had been trying to steal, now battered and beaten from a crash landing.

"No," Fox said. "Just leave the hard work to us. The less of us fighting that thing the better."

"Are you sure?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah," Fox said. "We've got this."

"Fox..." Blake said, worry thick in her tone.

"It's alright Blake," Fox smiled. "It's one fight. And not even that hard of one. I'll be fine. Besides, especially against Salem, I'm going to have to learn to be away from you for extended periods of time without collapsing. Have faith. I'll be okay."

Blake sighed, then nodded. Ava slipped her boots off, extending he wings and flying into the air, picking Ruby up by the arms, then flew away from shore. As she did, Fox took a deep breath, then leapt off of the cliff, sprinting across the water at the Leviathan grimm, launching several arrows as he ran. The arrows shattered against the Leviathan, who turned, roaring and sending a massive wall of flames almost three times wider than Fox was tall at him. Fox launched himself to the side, avoiding the flames and sending another arrow into the grimm's mouth, making it roar in pain. He could see Ava flying Ruby around the Leviathan's head, and adjusted his aim accordingly, avoiding shooting them while holding the grimm's attention. The leviathan opened its mouth, its throat beginning to glow again before suddenly, a blinding white light flashed from Ruby's eyes. When it faded, the Leviathan was encased in stone.

"Hell yeah Ruby!" Fox shouted. "Now I just need to-"

Stone exploded off of the Leviathan's head suddenly, the Leviathan roaring as more stone broke free.

"Dammit!" Fox snarled, jumping off of the water, landing on the side of the cliff. "Looks like I'm fighting it after all."

"I'll take it from here!" Cordova's voice declared suddenly, the now one-armed robot charging around a bend in the cliff, its remaining hand being replaced by a drill as it ran. "After all, I was sworn to defend the people!"

Then, the robot jumped, driving the drill into the grimm, destroying it in seconds. Fox sighed, looking around as Maria flew down in front of hm and stopped, allowing him to jump in, sitting against the wall beside Blake as they flew toward Ava and Ruby as well.

"So, are we ready to finally go to Atlas?" Fox asked. "I still have a conversation I need to have with Weiss's family."

"I have a few questions for them of my own," Weiss said.

"We should have just enough fuel to make it," Maria said.

"Heartening," Fox said. "Fuck it. "Let's go."

Maria nodded and they took off, flying away from Argus, everyone settling in for a long flight.

* * *

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	32. Chapter 32

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Arrival

Fox watched the city as it grew closer. Atlas was absolutely amazing, a floating utopia in the sky. However, directly below Atlas was the city of Mantle, the former capital before Atlas City was created, and the name of the kingdom changed to match the city, formerly having been named Mantle as well. Mantle was anything but beautiful. It was a slum. Entirely. The city was dark and out-dated, and everyone wallked around as though their spirits were broken. Drugs, crime, rape, murder. Everything was rampant in Mantle, even with Ironwood in charge. It was not a safe place to live by any means. Go down the wrong alleyway and you would be lucky to make it home. But that's just how it was. Fox had spent a full cycle, really about twenty years, operating a crime syndicate out of Mantle once, though before he died he had learned about his cycles and completely wiped out his organization.

"This is awful," Ruby said, staring at the city and the troops patrolling through it.

Fox looked off to the side at a massive screen on the side of a building where Ironwood was talking about the struggle and about the people needing to stay strong. Fox snorted. Easy for him to say. He wasn't living under the thumb of his martial law. In truth, everyone _did_ look a lot more rundown and broken than usual.

"General Ironwood..." Yang said. "He looks..."

"Tired," Ruby finished.

"James, what have you been doing?" Qrow asked quietly.

"Controlling Martial Law," Fox said. "It's not easy to keep your troops from abusing their power when they're given a near-infinite amount of it."

Fox looked out a window just as a pair of children hurled a rock at a floating camera drone, then hid behind a corner when it turned to see who did it.

"This isn't right," Weiss said. "None of this is right."

"Manta Five One, we've noticed a detour in your route," the female flight controller said from the radio irritably. "You are to make your way to docking bay Omega Twelve immediately. Do you copy?"

"We're kind of running out of time here kids," Maria said.

"We need to ditch the ship," Yang said.

"Agreed," Qrow nodded. "Let's get lost in mantle and buy ourselves some time."

"I know a place we can lay low," Fox said. "One of my incarnations lived her."

"How long ago?" Jaune asked.

"I'm telling you, my sister can take us to Ironwood," Weiss said.

"Uh...Weiss?" Blake spoke up from the window, Weiss walking over to look out of it, Fox looking as well, seeing a screen with a very no-business-looking Winter Schnee on it.

"A reminder, failure to comply with Atlas military personnel is a punishable offense," Winter said.

"Winter?" Weiss breathed.

"No offense, but I'm not sure that's a good idea anymore," Qrow said.

"There's obviously something very wrong," Weiss said. "If we could just talk to her-"

"Enough," Fox said. "Maria, find a place to set us down. We're not calling Winter until we know we can trust her. And we're not going to talk to Ironwood until after we have a solid plan to do so."

"Right," Qrow nodded.

Maria nodded as well just as the flight controller began to snap at them again, only for Maria to shut the radio off. A few moments later, they landed in a clear area out of sight of the public and all of Ironwood's robots and camera drones. They all grabbed their stuff and left the ship, heading into the city and away from it.

"So, where are we hiding?" Blake asked.

"When I lived here before, I ran a crime organization," Fox said.

"You were a mob boss?" Ren asked.

"That's so cool!" Nora said excitedly. "Did you have a bunch of thugs to do your dirty work for you? Did you wear a pinstripe suit? Did you have a smooth accent?"

"Actually, I did most of the dirty work in person," Fox said. "In that life, I...wasn't a very good person. I enjoyed the dirty work. I used to tell the workers of my organization that I was a people person, and that I liked to make house calls to check on the families of my workers, especially if that worker was having performance issues. They...generally never had issues."

"That's terrible!" Nora said. "Did you torture them?"

"Some," Fox said, face quickly sinking into a more and more unhappy thousand-yard stare. "Some I forced to feed me dinner, since me being there would be enough of a message to the person in the family that worked for me. Anyway, my organization dabbled in pretty much everything, and to keep from being caught, I had it fragmented into splinter cells who each believed they were the sum total of the organization. Only I knew any different. And each cell had their own safe room. A bunker here, a hidden back room there, a group of homeless men that no one spared even a single glance toward. I had people everywhere. At least, until Ozpin found me and told me who I was. Then I went around...cleaning house. I dismantled my entire organization in a few days and then went on an assignment from Ozpin. Then, I died on that assignment and Ozpin came back for my sword after."

"That's...quite a story," Oscar said. "What _haven't_ you done in one of your lives?"

"Killed Salem," Fox said, then stopped, staring at a small camera drone off to his right, which was staring at him. "We'll probably have company soon."

"Can we break it?" Yang asked.

"No," Fox said. "It'll cause trouble later."

Just then a light on the front flashed as it took a picture of Fox's face.

"On the other hand," Fox said, reaching for his sword, only for Blake to catch his hand. "But it's annoying."

Just then, a truck drove by, hitting the camera and breaking it, taking the remains away.

"That works," Fox shrugged.

"Is this many troops and cameras normal for Atlas?" Pyrrha asked.

"No," Weiss said.

"This place is a dump," Yang said.

"This place is a _slum_ ," Fox corrected. "The people of Atlas wanted a brighter future after the last war, and created the city of Atlas as that future. Nothing brighter than a city in the clouds. Except, only the rich and politically powerful get to live there. In other words..."

"It's not bright if you're the one having to look up at it," Nora said, crossing her arms.

"Exactly," Fox nodded.

"This whole city, it just seems awful," Blake said.

"Oh yeah?" a drunken man in a grey shirt, green pants, and glasses said, staggering off of a building's stoop behind them, a flask in his hand. "You don't like it here? There's plenty of space out in the tundra!"

"Sorry," Blake said. "I didn't mean to-"

"Atlas is the greatest kingdom in the world!" the man shouted, swaying.

"Hey!" Ruby shouted, but Blake caught her shoulder.

"We can't cause a scene," Blake said.

"The Embargo..." the drunk's slightly more sober friend said from the stoop, wearing a blue stocking cap, a grey sweatshirt, and blue pants. "The Embargo's got us in a rough patch, but it'll blow over, you'll see."

"We try and help the other kingdoms and this is what happens?" the drunk asked. "I say let 'em rot!"

"I apologize," Blake said. "I didn't mean to insult you."

The man glared at her, then spat off to the side. "Stupid Faunus like you-"

Fox's fist crashed into his gut, lifting him into the air before allowing him to fall to his hands and knees before lifting him by his hear, Fox's ears angling forward. "Apologize!" he snarled through gritted teeth. "Now!"

"Alright!" the drunk said. "I'm sorry!"

Fox growled, then let him go, turning to walk away.

"Sorry you and your pussy girlfriend are both staining this kingdom," the drunk muttered.

Fox snarled angrily, turning to beat the man to within an inch of his life, only for a black sigil to appear beneath each of them, Fox flying backward to Black and Yang, both of whom grabbed him and began to drag him away while the drunk sailed into the air and flipped backward, crashing down in a dumpster.

"It was worth it," Weiss said as they all hurried away from the area, Fox turning and beginning to run on his own.

"Thank you for stopping me," Fox said.

"Don't mention it," Weiss said. "Anyway, which way to the safe house?"

"Just up ahead," Fox said, leading them around three corners before stopping in front of a pharmacy building. "We're here."

"Oh, I never expected this to be where we'd end up," Maria said.

"You know this place?" Fox asked.

"Yes," Maria nodded. "This is where the person I was hoping to visit lives. He's the one who fixes my eyes."

"That's a pretty convenient coincidence," Pyrrha said.

"I'll accept whatever luck we can get," Fox said.

Just then, the door opened and a brunette mouse-type Faunus walked out with a prosthetic arm.

"Now no more heavy lifting for a while, you hear?" a male voice called after her as she was admiring her arm.

"Well, I think I know who made that arm for you, Yang," Fox said as they all walked in, Maria in the lead.

"Ah, it's good to see you again old friend," Maria smiled, however, when he didn't immediately sit up from where he was rummaging behind his desk, she cleared her throat.

"Oh!" he said, sitting up and staring at her. "Ah yes. Do I know you from somewhere?"

"This is off to a fantastic start," Ren said sarcastically.

"Cybernetic optical implants?" Maria prompted. "You adjust them. Every ten years or so?"

The man stared at her for several long seconds. "Maria!" He turned, making his way around the desk on a four-legged chair that walked for him. "Yes! For the cybernetic optical implants! I adjust them every ten years or so." He laughed as Fox sighed into his hand. "Has it really been that long already?"

"Oh I know," Maria smiled. "I age like a fine wine. I would have been here sooner if I hadn't run into these jokers. At the time I thought they might need my guidance while fighting a little old sphinx."

"Oh?" the man asked. "And did they?"

"No, no," Maria said, hopping up onto a medical table the man had guided her to. "They had much more complicated issues. Especially the fox Faunus. He's probably the one in the worst situation."

Fox stared at the ground in silence as the man looked over at him and stopped.

"You," the man said. "I know you. You're...Fox Winters."

"How do you know me?" Fox asked, tensing slightly.

"You saved my daughter's life," the man said. "You can call me Pietro."

"He builds the future of Atlas right next to Ironwood," Maria said. "He's one of the finest minds in all of Remnant. Finest hearts too."

"So I was right," Fox said. "You're Ironwood's right hand."

"Well, more like the top inventor of Atlas," the man smiled, looking around the rest of the group, stopping on Yang. "You...painted it."

"What?" Yang asked, staring at her arm.

"Told you," Fox said. "Sir, Pietro, who is your daughter?"

Just then, a siren outside began to wail and people began to scream.

"Trouble!" Jaune said as the others all ran out of the building, leaving Fox behind, still deep in thought.

"Wait!" Pietro shouted, then sighed. "Aren't you going to help them?"

"What?" Fox asked, looking around and noticing the siren for the first time, going pale. "Oh. That's not good."

"It's fine," Pietro said. "My daughter defends Mantle from the Grimm."

"What?" Fox asked. "No, not that. The others can handle that. I meant...never mind. I should go help."

Pietro nodded and Fox walked outside to find the others fighting a pack of sabyr, four-legged Grimm with a pair of teeth a foot long. Three of them leapt at him from the side as he stepped outside, but he drew his sword and slashed them with it, then turned to Blake, just as she shot one leaping at Yang, killing it. She was using her sword exclusively as a pistol, wielding its sheath in the other hand. Suddenly one leapt at her, only for Fox's arrow to punch through it, destroying it instantly. He walked over to her, slashing several more as they leapt at him before stopping beside her just as a green laser blasted the last one, killing it.

"Thanks," Blake smiled.

"Of course," Fox smiled, kissing her for a moment before turning just as the new arrival landed behind them.

They all turned, staring at the newcomer. She had black thigh-high boots with green lines down the outsides of them, a green skirt with black on her midriff, green straps over her shoulders like suspenders, a white blouse that was tucked under the black section, and her orange hair now hung down her back, but she was undeniably Penny.

"Oh, so _that's_ his daughter," Fox nodded. "Okay. Makes sense."

"Salutations!" Penny smiled, grabbing Ruby in a hug and spinning. "It is so good to see you all again!"

"It's so nice to see you too Penny!" Ruby smiled. "We tried to call earlier but you didn't answer."

"I'm sorry," Penny said. "I was meeting with General Ironwood. I am the official protector of the city."

"That's good," Fox smiled. "We need to speak with General Ironwood."

"Of course!" Penny smiled, then grabbed Ruby by the shoulders. "We have so much to catch up about. I can not wait!"

A siren began to blare in the distance.

"It seems we will have to wait," penny said, still smiling widely. "Let'stalkmorelaterIcan'twaittohearaboutallyouradventuresI'mveryexcited-"

The rest of her million-mile-an-hour speaking was drowned out by her feet's thrusters. Fox chuckled, shaking his head. "Same old Penny."

"I can't tell if I really know what's going on, or have like, a milling questions," Nora said.

"And thankfully, I have about a thousand answers," Pietro said., starting back toward his pharmacy. "But let's get out of this weather first."

"I have absolutely no idea who that child was," Maria said, following him. "Was she important somehow?"

"That was unexpected," Jaune said.

"It's good to see she's doing well, though," Pyrrha said. "And it looked like she got a few upgrades."

"Probably," Fox said.

"I was honestly expecting things to go a lot rougher," Qrow said.

"Please, Qrow," Fox sighed. "No red flags."

Just then Fox's ears tilted as a whistling reached his ears and a green barrier appeared around himself and Blake just before ropes with powerful magnets on the ends spun down at them, tying up everyone else, even Qrow. Jinn's lamp bounced away from Ruby, only for Fox to pick it up as several people in fancy white Atlas Military uniforms landed in front of them, weapons drawn. There were five in total. One with brown hair and a fishing rod for a weapon, one with several tattoos on his forehead and his hair shaved off entirely, a dog Faunus with a huge boomerang with a blade around the outside, a girl with brown hair except for a few locks in the front that were spiked upward messily who had a mechanical pack that had exoskeleton frames for her arms, likely enhancing her strength, and a bulky girl with long messy brown hair, tanned skin, and a large hammer.

"This one's got some skill," the Faunus smirked.

"Down boy," Fox said. "We're not enemies. We need to speak with General Ironwood. My name is Fox Winters. This is Qrow Branwen, and Ruby Rose."

"We're the Ace Ops," the one with the fishing pole smirked. "We're here to arrest you."

"As I said, we're not enemies," Fox said, raising his sword. "But if you make the mistake of making me your enemy, I'll simply bring your bodies back to Ironwood when we go and see him."

"What is going on out here?" Pietro demanded. "What are the Ace Ops even doing in Mantle?"

"Doctor, good to see you," the one with the fishing rod said. "Well, we got a report of an unauthorized ship, making an unauthorized landing, followed by an unauthorized use of weapons by non-licensed huntsmen."

"I-If we could just talk this out," Pietro stammered.

"They'll be able to talk this out once they get to Atlas," the leader said. "As for you. If you make a scene, or you resist, we'll have no choice but to take you down. You and your pretty friend."

"Lay one hand on her and I will rip you to shreds," Fox snarled.

"Ooo, feisty," the girl with the white in her hair smirked. "I like this one. Listen kid, it's not worth the trouble for you to fight this one out. Just come with us without a fight and we won't bind the two of you. Though, we _will_ have to confiscate your weapons for the time being."

"I'm keeping my sword," Fox said.

"Fox," Blake said. "We can always get it back later. Let's just do what they say for now. It's our best chance."

Fox remained silent for a long moment before sighing. "Fine. But if it's so much as smudged when I get it back, you're a dead man. Got it?"

"Don't worry," the guy said. "I'll take good care of it."

He took it, passing it off to the robot holding the others weapons before the Ace Ops left as a transport ship arrived. Fox sighed and a few minutes later, they were all loaded onto it, Fox clutching Jinn's lamp tightly in his hand.

* * *

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	33. Chapter 33

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Mining

Fox was _not_ happy. Ironwood had told Penny and Winter everything, the relics, the Maidens, all of it. Fox didn't mind that. Ruby had decided not to tell Ironwood or the others about what Jinn had told them. Fox agreed with that decision. The part that Fox was truly displeased about, the part that infuriated him to no end, was the fact that Ironwood had decided to put the Amity Colosseum into orbit with a new communications tower to get the world able to talk to one another again, another excellent idea, and then use that tower to tell the entire world the truth about Salem and the old Gods, and the Relics. It would start a riot, mass panic, and millions of deaths by Grimm, if not more. Fox was livid.

He had also conscripted them, albeit in a nicer way of saying it, into helping him with the plan. Which was why Fox was currently trying to avoid killing a certain inventor they had met in Mantle who was trying to argue that replacing the emerald in Fox's sword with Dust was a good idea.

"If you touch my sword, you die," Fox finally snarled.

"Oh, of course," Pietro said, leaning back in his chair. "I'm sorry. you're right."

Blake rested a hand on Fox's shoulder and Fox sighed heavily. "Are you okay?"

"I will be," Fox sighed. "I just really don't like Ironwood's plan."

Blake nodded in agreement. "It'll be okay."

Fox sighed, nodding. "Yeah. It'll be fine. Come on. I think the cafeteria has tea."

Blake nodded and they walked away from the others, Blake having already passed off her broken sword to be repaired and upgraded by Pietro. They walked through the school to the cafeteria, getting some tea before heading to the room they were sharing. Originally, Ironwood had tried to have them separated by team, but after Fox had explained who he really was, as well as his current circumstances and need to be around Blake, Ironwood had given them a room to themselves, leaving Ava and Wulfe in a room alone together, and Ruby, Weiss, and Yang sharing one.

That night, past lives' memories plagued his dreams, as they had been with more and more frequency, and when he woke up, he felt on edge. It faded after a bit, but over the next couple of days, it began to grow worse.

"Are you alright?" Blake asked as they went to get her sword back.

"I'm fine," Fox sighed. "I'm probably just tired from the nightmares."

"They've been getting worse," Blake noted. "Should we be worried?"

"It's fine," Fox smiled. "I'll be alright."

"Fox," Blake said, brow furrowing with worry as she stopped, tugging his arm to stop him as well. "I'm serious. Are these nightmares a bad sign?"

"It's fine," Fox said, cupping her face and pressing his forehead to hers, enjoying the relief it brought, as the contact muted his headache slightly. "I promise you, I'm alright."

Blake sighed and nodded, kissing him. He kissed her back, remaining there for several seconds before pulling back.

"Come on," Fox smiled. "We should go."

She nodded and they headed to Pietro's lab where he apologized for having taken so long to finish their weapons, as well as telling them he had recommendations for further upgrades. They all took their new weapons, minus Fox, as well as their free new outfits, and headed to the changing rooms. Fox paused outside the one Blake was headed to.

"You can come in," Blake said. "It's not like you haven't seen."

"It's alright," Fox smiled. "I'll let you have some privacy."

"Fox, it's alright," Blake said. "Really. I don't mind."

"Blake, I'll be fine," Fox smiled. "It's only a few minutes. If I can't even survive a few minutes without you, there's going to be some serious trouble later on."

Blake hesitated but nodded. Fox gave her a quick kiss before walking away, entering his own changing room. He had agreed to a new outfit as well, if only to make up for snapping at Pietro. He opened the box and pulled it out, nodding appreciatively. It consisted of a black shirt with three-quarter sleeves, as he had had when he first entered Beacon but with the emerald from his cuirass woven into the fabric somehow, dark green pants, and a pair of fingerless black gloves that had emerald plating on the outsides. He liked the outfit. He pulled his shirt off and winced. His whole body ached. He needed sleep. He bent down and untied his shoes, then stood back up and staggered to the side as his head spun, then winced as it began to pound. He sat down heavily. Apparently he was more tired than he thought. He kicked his shoes off and slid his pants off, pulling the new pants on instead and found that they were actually a more comfortable fit than his. He pulled his new shoes on, then reached out for the shirt just in time to feel a pair of horses kick his temples at the same time. His vision rolled violently before fading to black, a scream echoing inside his head.

* * *

"Where's Fox?" Blake asked as she stepped out of the changing room and found Yang waiting.

"I haven't seen him," Yang shrugged. "I kind of figured he'd be with you."

"He wanted to give me privacy to change," Blake said.

"BLAKE! ! !" Wulfe's voice shouted suddenly.

Both girls sprinted around the corner and toward a door Wulfe was standing in. He stepped out of Blake's way and she dropped to her knees inside of the changing room, lifting Fox into her arms.

"Fox!" Blake called out, shaking him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Fox! Wake up!"

Fox winced before his eyes slowly slid open and he stared up at her in silence. After a moment, he raised a hand, combing his fingers through her freshly cut hair, which was slightly above shoulder-length now. "You cut your hair."

Blake sighed in relief, kissing him. "You scared the hell out of me! I _knew_ you weren't telling me everything! It's getting worse, isn't it!?"

Fox sighed, sitting up, and holding a hand to his head. "Yeah. It's getting worse."

"What do we do?" Blake asked.

"What _can_ we do?" Fox asked.

"We...We could have Jinn show you all of your memories," Blake said. "She said before that it fixed it."

Fox shook his head. "I can remember that life now. It didn't fix it. Only delay it. Besides, I'm not wasting Jinn's last question to buy myself a few more years. There are more important things than me."

"Then, what about Ozpin?" Blake asked. "Maybe he knows a way to help."

"Ozpin's gone," Fox said. "It's alright, Blake."

"No it's not!" Blake snapped, tears running down her face again. "I don't want to lose you!"

Fox sighed, glancing past her, seeing the hurt, dejected look in Yang's eyes, though her face was calm and neutral. "I'll see if I can get Ozpin back again. If not, we'll think of something."

Blake nodded. "Okay. But from now on, you're not leaving my side."

Fox smiled and nodded, kissing her, then standing. "Come on. We'll be late."

She nodded and he finished getting dressed before following her to where they were all meeting up for their mission to exterminate a Ghast in a mine near where the Amity Colosseum was being launched. He looked around at the others' upgraded weapons. Yang had gotten her right bracer attached to her arm, and had swapped her old outfit for a dark brown jacket over a light tan shirt that still exposed her cleavage, matching shorts, and thigh-high stockings, one of which reached up to the shorts, and one of which was folded down about three inches below them. Weiss had swapped her dress for a longer one with a pale blue outer layer that was split up the front, pale blue boots with a diamond of layered white in the front, a dark blue jacket over the dress, black gloves, a pair of white belts with the pouches she held her Dust in, and a small three-pointed tiara-like hairpieces holding her hair in place on the back right corner of her head where it was transformed into a massive braid almost as thick as her head and reaching her waist. He actually hadn't realized she had that much hair.

Ruby had gotten a few inches cut off of her hair, and had it cut so that the right side was a little longer, and her bangs fell entirely on the right side. She had swapped her outfit for one with a black corset over a red skirt, the top of which ended dangerously low, judging by what was visible through the opening in the front of the corset. There was a see-through, red-tinted netting portion extending from the top of the dress over her shoulders, her usual red cape around her neck, and she wore thigh-high black boots with dark grey stockings visible between the top of the boots around mid-thigh to where the thin material of her skirt ended about a quarter of the way down her thighs or so. Then there was Blake. She had swapped her black top that Fox loved so much for a white jacket over a black shirt with a zipped up collar reaching up high on her neck, the coat hanging into a pair of tails behind her, and tight black pants and boots. She looked as beautiful as ever, but speaking from both her boyfriend's perspective, and also a male's perspective, he missed the black top showing some skin. Not that he'd complain. After all, she was still so beautiful that he struggled to grasp the concept of him having actually won her heart.

He glanced at her, seeing her steal a glance at Yang. He grinned, remembering their discussion so long ago about her attraction to the blonde. He leaned in close to her ear. "At least she kept the view open for you."

Blake blushed bright red instantly and smacked him on the arm before hissing, "That's not what I was looking at!"

Fox chuckled, kissing her forehead. "Of course you weren't."

Blake scowled at him and he smiled, heading for Oscar. He was standing with Jaune and the others. Pyrrha hadn't changed anything, though she had clearly given Jaune a haircut, a skill she had only told them she had after they got to Atlas, because Jaune's only change to his look was that his hair was now short and in a messy style. His shield had apparently been made magnetic, because he was wearing it attached to his left vambrace. Ren had changed into white pants and a dull green tunic with a black sleeve over his right arm with pink on the inside of the forearm and armpit. Nora was currently braiding his hair for him, though Fox wasn't sure if it was his idea or hers. Nora had probably changed her outfit the most out of anyone besides Blake. She had swapped her old outfit for one with a sleeveless pink jacket over a white jacket that was also sleeveless, a black shirt under them with the sleeves rolled up to make it also sleeveless, fingerless white bicep gloves under thicker yet still fingerless black gloves, and black boots with thigh-high, light grey stockings, and a black skirt that only just barely reached out from under her two jackets.

Fox glanced around, noticing that Wulfe and Ava weren't present yet. "Hey Oscar, can we talk to you?"

"Sure," Oscar nodded, the three of them walking away from the others. "What's up?"

"I know you can't sense Ozpin, but I really need him," Fox said. "Can you see if you can get to him by yelling at him? Tell him I need his help with my memories? He once told me he could seal them away, and I really need him to."

Oscar nodded, looking anything but certain. "I'll try."

"Thanks," Fox smiled, then headed back to the others just as Wulfe ad Ava walked in.

Wulfe hadn't changed his outfit at all, and Fox doubted he had been any more willing to let Pietro modify his weapons than Fox had been, same with Ava and her weapon. However, Ava _had_ changed her outfit. She now wore a lime green top which hung low enough to expose her cleavage, tight white leggings, dark green boots that reached up to above where her legs went from bird to human, and a pair of green sleeves that reached from a point at the back of her hands with a small cloth loop around her middle fingers to high on her biceps, ending in a feathered design. The part that caught Fox's attention, however, was that the two of them were walking hand-in-hand.

"Finally," he muttered.

Blake looked over at the pair and smiled, nodding in agreement. A few minutes later, they loaded up in a ship and were flown to their destination. As the door opened, Fox took a deep breath and sighed, smiling.

"See you on the ground," Fox smiled, falling backward out of the ship.

The others jumped as well, the others using their weapons or semblances to land safely, as they had done that first day in Beacon. Ruby fired her scythe's rifle to slow her descent, Weiss used a combination of her sigils and summoning, Blake swung on her sword and it's cloth, and Yang fired her bracers to slow herself. Off to the side, Pyrrha had jumped onto an ice slope, using her shield to slide down it, while above her, Nora used her hammer the same way Ruby was her scythe, Ren swung from buildings using his blades, and Jaune, who apparently had his shield more heavily upgraded than Fox realized, used it and the barrier around it like a glider before flipping and holding it under himself, the impact sending a pulse of purple energy out of the shield, entirely negating his momentum and allowing him to land safely on his feet. Fox was impressed. However, just as soon as he rolled to land himself, agony lanced through his head and his body began to spasm and contort, crashing down through the roof of a building. He continued to spasm for several more seconds before falling still, panting and gasping, eyes wide and staring blankly ahead, heavy wooden beams lying on top of him. After a moment, he pushed himself up, the beams falling away, and dusted himself off, staggering out of the building, meeting Blake almost instantly, Blake looking terrified.

"I'm alright," Fox said. "That wasn't memories."

"What was it?" Blake asked.

Fox turned to look toward the mine. "It was a very old friend. One that Salem turned into a Grimm."

"Like that one you fought while me and Yang fought Adam?" Blake asked.

"Yeah," Fox nodded. "Like him."

"Is the friend here?" Blake asked.

"I think the friend might be the Ghast," Fox said. "Which means this mission just got a whole lot more dangerous."

"What do we do?" Blake asked.

"I'm going to kill them," Fox said. "I hope."

Blake nodded and they headed for the mine to meet up with the others.

* * *

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	34. Chapter 34

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Ghast

Fox glanced to the side, seeing Yang staring at Blake. Blake noticed too, also glancing over. Yang jumped, realizing she had been caught and instantly began to get nervous.

"Sorry!" Yang said. "Just not...used to the new hair yet."

"Is it...bad?" Blake blushed, ears folding down. "Fox wouldn't tell me it is even if I was bald."

"No, no!" Yang said hurriedly. "It's good! Great even!"

Fox sighed, looking back at the two Ace Ops with them, Marrow, a dog Faunus with a boomerang that transformed into a gun, and Harriet, the girl with the white hair on top and brown on the sides and the gauntlet-type weapons attached to a pack on her back. Marrow was complaining about babysitting them and Harriet responded by making a joke about the Ace Ops babysitting Marrow.

"Hey, you alright?" Blake asked.

"Yeah," Fox nodded.

"Is it just me, or is Yang acting weird?" Blake asked.

"She's just trying to figure out how to act around you now that she's falling for you," Fox said, walking toward the min, Blake stopping and staring at him before following.

"Fox, I'm being serious!" Blake said once she had caught up.

"So am I," Fox said. "Even when I first met you guys at Beacon, I thought maybe she was attracted to you. And now, it looks like everything that's happened has finally pushed her over the edge into falling in love with you."

"What should I do?" Blake asked.

"Whatever you want," Fox said. "He's _your_ girlfriend."

Blake looked over at him in surprise, only to see the shit-eating grin on his face and groan, rolling her eyes before punching him in the shoulder. "You're such an ass sometimes."

Fox chuckled. "I'm serious about her falling for you, though. And about what to do about it being your choice."

"What do _you_ think I should do?" Blake asked.

"As your boyfriend, turn her down gently," Fox said. "As a male, invite her over sometime."

Blake rolled her eyes. "Pervert."

Fox shrugged. "You say that like you didn't already know."

Blake smiled, slipping her hand into his. "Well, no matter what I choose, it's definitely not going to involve me dumping you."

Fox smiled, kissing her for a moment before continuing. They joined the others at the main entrance. They walked through the ice tunnels heading toward the mine for several minutes, falling back from the Ace Ops in order to discuss what to do about their information about Salem.

"We're really not going to tell Ironwood what happened to Ozpin?" Yang asked. "What we know about Jinn? What we know about Salem?"

"We are," Ruby said, then hesitated. "We will. But you saw the way Atlas looked when we got there."

"Ironwood is prone to overreaction, and he's too stubborn to listen to reason," Fox said. "Even at Beacon, Ironwood was completely convinced that he was correct, and that anything he did was the right move. Right up until it all fell apart. His entire plan to tell the world about Salem is a terrible idea, not only because she can't be killed, but also because it's going to do Salem's job for her. The entire world will be divided instantly, and then the Grimm will slaughter us."

"That's an awfully dark prediction," Weiss said. "Maybe try having a little more faith."

"Do you disagree?" Fox asked. "How many licensed Huntsmen and Huntresses do you think there are currently active? Against how many Grimm?"

"Plus there are those other ones," Blake said.

Fox nodded. "Friends from my former life. Turned into Grimm Generals."

"Well, maybe we _won't_ be slaughtered," Weiss said. "Besides, that's not the point of this conversation."

"For right now, we need to keep the information to ourselves," Ruby said finally. "At least until we know we can trust Ironwood."

"Okay," Yang nodded. "If you think that's best. But...how did Oscar feel about that?"

"Not great," Ruby said. "He thought it was the same thing Ozpin did to us. But...But we _will_ tell Ironwood. When the time is right."

They all nodded and fell silent as they caught up with Marrow and Harriet. Before them, there was a massive wall of debris, the result of a cave-in. Blake looked around at the mine, her ears folding forward as she seemed to close in on herself.

"Are you okay?" Fox asked, Yang looking over at Blake worriedly.

"I just realized where we are," Blake said. "This mine was closed after a disaster."

"Ilia," Fox realized, Blake nodding.

"I remember this disaster," Weiss said. "Or rather, I remember how furious it made my father." She sighed, walking over to them. "I wish I could take back the years of sadness my family's caused the Faunus and all of my complacency in it."

Blake rested a hand on Weiss's shoulder, smiling.

"This society is set up for Faunus to be at the bottom, and humans are willing participants," Marrow said, walking over. "They benefit from doing nothing to help us. There are still those who actively abuse us."

Fox's hand rose to his ears and his tail pressed tight to his leg, as he used to keep it to hide it in his pants.

"Anyway," Marrow said, smiling. "I didn't come over here looking to solve systemic societal issues. Harriet found a gap in the rubble we think one of you could fit through. I dealy someone with a knack for seeing in the dark?" He looked to Blake.

"Why don't you go then, hotshot?" Fox asked. "You're a Faunus too."

"I figured you guys would like to show your skills off," Marrow shrugged.

Fox rolled his eyes. "So you're scared, then. Whatever. Let's go Blake."

"Right," Blake nodded, following him to the gap.

Despite what Marrow had said about the gap only being big enough to fit someone through, it was actually a little more than shoulder-width apart, so Blake and Fox had no trouble whatsoever passing through it.

"Alright Blake, Fox, any dust in the immediate area?" Marrow asked.

"Mine carts, debris," Blake said. "No dust through."

"Great," Marrow said. "Then it should be safe to blast our way through."

"Okay," Blake said. "Heading-"

A shadow flashed out from behind a mine cart, slashing at the pair of them. Blake shouted in surprise, flipping backward while Fox blocked the slash with his sword, the claws shrieking as they scraped across it. Then, the Ghast shot down from above, swiping at Fox, who leapt back beside Blake, who opened fire at the two Grimm, only for both to vanish just before the wall of debris exploded inward, the others running through. Just as they arrived, centipedes began to burst out of the ground and walls around them.

"What happened?" Weiss asked.

"The target and an old friend both came to greet us," Fox said, switching to his bow form and pulling it back. "Shall we?"

"Oh yeah," Ruby smiled.

Fox released his arrow, sending it drilling through two of the centipedes before they all charged. Blake slashed a pair of centipedes and one of them shot toward her, only for Fox to split it in half the long way, killing it. Two more fell at them from above and Yang stepped in front of them, blasting both and killing them. Weiss passed them killing two more before Ruby slashed one of them. However, the head was still alive as it fell, so Ruby pressed a switch, the head of her scythe spinning, before she fired the scythe's gun, sending the scythe flipping up over her, finishing the Grimm. Then, Marrow jumped over her, shooting two before hurling his boomerang and making it slam one into the ground before catching it and slamming the bladed end down on one of them. Two more spiraled together toward him only for him to smirk.

"Stay," he said, snapping his fingers.

Instantly, the two Grimm slowed to almost a complete stop and Harriet shot forward, electricity streaming around her as she moved at a speed that rivalled Ruby's own Semblance. Then, she grabbed the two centipedes with her gauntlets active and whipped them onto the ground, both hitting with enough force to splatter, both dying.

"This is Bravo, we've encountered the target but it escaped," Harriet said. "Engaging sentinels."

"All squads be advised," Fox said into his own communicator. "The Ghast is not alone. There's a second Grimm with it, Wendigo. It's humanoid with a pair of antlers, can bcome a shadow, and is _very_ dangerous. Do _not_ engage. That includes you, Qrow."

"What the hell is a Wendigo?" Qrow asked.

"Her moniker," Fox said. "I'll explain later."

He disconnected, slashing a pair of centipedes heading for him just as Blake flipped over him, slashing one behind him.

"Thanks," Fox said.

"Last one," Weiss said.

"I got it!" Ruby said, only for Harriet to streak past her and drill her fist through the Grimm. "Whoa! Your Semblance makes you superfast! Just like me!"

"Very cool," Harriet smirked. "Although, judging by your reaction time, I'd say I'm a little faster."

"This is Alpha!" the leader of the Ace Ops, Clover, who had a fishing rod as a weapon, for whatever reason, said suddenly. "We've engaged the target! All squads converge on our location!"

Everyone else began to leave, only for Fox to remain motionless. Blake skidded to a stop almost immediately.

"Fox?" Blake asked.

"Yeah," Fox said. "Sorry. I was just thinking about how to deal with Wendigo."

He caught up to Blake and they ran after the others. They followed them quickly, reading the heart of the mine just as Jaune's team ran in as well. However, the Ghast wasn't present. Wendigo was, though. She stood in the center of the chamber, crouched low with her left hand on the ground, her right raised slightly, and her entire body shrouded in darkness, darkness curling off of her like smoke, and her eye shining white from inside. Aside from her eyes, the only other distinguishing feature she had were her deer-like antlers, and her claws. Her fingers were entirely claws, sharpened both inside and out, and were about six inches long. Her toes were also sharpened, but she only used them for climbing, except in drastic situations. At least, when she was still a living Faunus.

"Wendigo?" Blake asked.

"Yeah," Fox nodded. "A deer Faunus that was so shy and afraid of attention that when her Semblance developed, it developed to allow her to hide among the shadows by becoming one herself. As a shadow, she could also control certain things about her body, such as making her fingers and toes into claws."

"Are we sure she's a Grimm then?" Blake asked. "And not just using her Semblance?"

"I'm sure," Fox said, stepping forward and drawing his sword. Before he could attack, however, he stopped, looking up. "Shit. I found the Ghast."

Everyone looked up at the cavern's ceiling. The Ghast was in the ice in the center of the roof of the cave, pulling Dust into its ice body. Fox swore. He couldn't shoot it.

"That thing's a bomb," Fox growled.

"We'll handle the Ghast," the Ace Ops said. "You handle the Wendigo."

Fox nodded, turning back to Wendigo, who watched him for a moment before extending her right hand, pointing at him.

"He comes," Wendigo hissed. "The Eclipse will blacken the sky."

Fox felt his blood run cold, swallowing hard. Then, Wendigo dropped into the floor, becoming a round spot of darkness before vanishing.

"What did she mean?" Blake asked. "Fox?"

"Later," Fox said, turning to the Ghast, watching the Ace Ops work.

They weren't bad. Their teamwork was impressive and they were able to fight the Ghast at the same time as catch the massive chunks of Dust that got knocked free from it each time. Finally, Clover used his fishing rod to yank the Ghast out of its possessed body and Harriet killed it with a single punch to the head. Then, they went to work catching all of the dust released from the body as it crumbled. However, as Harriet moved to catch the last piece, moving just a second too slow, Ruby shot past, catching it at the last second as a red spiral, then stopped spinning and landed on the ground, skidding to a stop against the wall.

"That was easy," Blake said.

"They're pretty good," Fox nodded.

"Now what did Wendigo mean?" Blake asked.

"She was talking about another of my former comrades," Fox said. "Arguably the most dangerous. Nero Shade, ancestor of the founder of Shade Academy. His Moniker was the Moon Wraith."

"Why?" Blake asked.

Fox sighed. "Wait until we get back to Atlas. I'll tell everyone about all of the Generals there."

Blake nodded and they walked over to join the others, who were busy congratulating each other on completing the mission.

"You're sure the Wendigo's gone?" Clover asked Fox as they reached them.

"For now," Fox said. "She'll be back."

"So this area's not safe?" Clover asked.

"No, no," Fox said. "You misunderstand. She'll be back _for me_."

Clover nodded and turned back to the others. Fox sighed. He really hoped he was wrong.

* * *

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	35. Chapter 35

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Information

Fox walked out of the mine with the others, mind flashing back and forth between the thought of Wendigo coming back for him and her warning about who _else_ would be coming after him. Fox knew he'd end up having to face all five. Probably soon. He could feel it, like a dark cloud on the horizon or like an icy hand squeezing his chest slowly, growing tighter with every breath he took, counting down the minutes until he could no longer take any.

"Are you afraid?" Blake asked.

"Terrified," Fox said. "I don't want you anywhere near any of them."

"That's too bad," Blake said. "Because I'm not letting you fight them alone."

"I know," Fox smiled. "You're the one person I can count on for literally anything, because you're the one person who will never leave me, even if I tell you to."

Blake smiled, slipping her hand into his. "Exactly."

Just as they reached the others, Ironwood took a call on his communicator.

"What!?" Ironwood growled. "Already?" he sighed heavily. "No, it's fine. Just let him land. I'll deal with him myself."

"More Mantle problems?" Qrow asked.

"Mantle problems?" Fox asked.

"Someone's been killing people who speak out against Ironwood," Jaune said. "Like that guy that got arrested with us."

Fox nodded.

"This one's an Atlas problem," Ironwood said.

A plane flew down to land in front of them, the Schnee Dust Company logo in several places on the ship. Fox growled, reaching into the backpack he'd brought with him and pulling out the helmet he'd kept since the train, the black one from one of the three suits of armor that had attacked him.

"What luck," Fox said. "I get to have a discussion with Weiss's father after all."

"So let me get this straight James," Mr. Schnee spat as he stormed off of his plane, "in addition to this nonsensical embargo of yours _crippling_ my business, you've also decided you have the authority to commandeer private property!?" He jabbed a finger in Ironwood's face, Ironwood standing tall and unfazed. "When the council hears about this, you will never-"

"Actually, I've already informed them," Ironwood interrupted. "As this is now the site of a classified _military_ operation, it didn't even require a vote."

"Didn't require a vote!?" Mr. Schnee gaped.

"You might want to brush up on council law before you lose this upcoming election Jacques," Ironwood said. "Now, I've allowed you to land here once as a courtesy. The next time it won't be a friendly reception."

Jacques glared at him. "Lately you seem to forget who your friends really are. I'm going to get that council seat, and maybe then, you'll..." he stopped, staring at Weiss. "You." He glared at Ironwood as he walked past him. "You roped my missing daughter into these schemes of yours too!? How long has she been back in Atlas!? Did Winter know about this!?"

"It was my decision to come here, just like it was my decision to leave!" Weiss said firmly. "Or have you forgotten all about that?"

"If you think I'm one to forget anything, girl, then you've misjudged the man your father is," Jacques said.

"Believe me, I know _exactly_ the kind of man you are," Weiss said flatly.

"How dare you speak to me that way!?" Jacques spat. "I have half a mind to-"

"Half a mind to what, Jacques?" Fox asked, walking forward, tossing the helmet into the air and catching it with his right hand. "Half a mind to explain this?" he hurled the helmet into Jacques's gut, the man grunting, then holding the helmet up, fury blooming on his face.

"Where did you get this!?" Jacques demanded. "This is a priceless family heirloom!"

"Obviously it's not _that_ priceless, since I got it after killing the Grimm possessing it when it attacked me and my friends," Fox said. "Immediately after Weiss informed me that your family had previously _made_ a Grimm possessed suit of armor that you _forced_ Weiss to fight. And that helmet was one of three that attacked me. Care to explain why?"

Jacques stared at Fox for a long while before inhaling slowly, straightening his suit jacket. "I have nothing to say to a filthy Faunus like you."

"You son of a bitch!" Fox spat. "You're creating Grimm and you have nothing to say for yourself!?"

"What proof do you have that I'm doing that?" Jacques asked. "Because the word of a filthy Faunus, as I'm sure even you must be able to comprehend, is not worth the dirt on my shoe."

Fox clenched his fists but said nothing. He couldn't speak. If he tried, it'd be a string of swears, and he'd likely attack the man as well.

"Your mother was devastated when you left," Jacques said, turning to Weiss. "You know how she gets when she's upset." he turned back to Ironwood. "I knew one day you would over-extend your reach. I didn't come here to beg for an abandoned mine. I came here to thank you for personally handing me the noose to hang you!"

Fox glanced at Weiss, seeing Blake holding her hand supportively, Weiss having taken the bit about her mother hard, apparently.

"You'll regret this," Jacques said arrogantly, then turned back to Weiss, only to stop, seeing Blake holding her hand and the rest of Team RWBY, along with Fox, standing in a line beside her. Fury blossomed in his face immediately, but he kept himself restrained. "So these are the little friends you threw everything away for."

"Not friends," Weiss said. "Family."

Jacques glared at him, then turned to walk back to his plane only to stop, seeing Fox leaning against it, a wide grin on his face and green spray paint covering the back doors of the jet. It spelled out the words, "Racist Grimm Lover" over the SDC logo.

"You filthy Faunus!" Jacques spat. "That is private property! I'll have you arrested for this!"

"For what?" Fox asked. "I didn't do anything. Did any of _you_ see me do anything?"

"Nothing," Blake grinned.

"Nope," Yang smirked.

"Nada," Ruby agreed.

"Not a thing," Weiss smiled.

Jacques was fuming, but stormed onto his plane in silence and Fox walked over to the rest of them.

"Wait until he sees what I did to his spare suits," Fox smirked, holding up a black and red spray paint can as well.

"You work fast," Blake said.

"One of my lives was an artist," Fox shrugged.

Just then, a truck drove over as Jacques's plane flew away, Winter climbing out of it.

"Oh _now_ you show up, Winter," Weiss smirked. "You just missed father."

"I wouldn't say I _missed_ him," Winter said.

The moment she got done talking, Penny exploded into the ground in front of Team Ruby, throwing all four of them away as she shouted, "Surprise!" She had her hands over her head, the word Congratulations hovering above her in a green hologram. "Oh, did we not start yet?"

"Apparently, we haven't," Winter said.

"Start what?" Ruby asked.

"Come up to the coliseum," Ironwood said. "We have something for you all."

They all followed him up to Amity and stood in a line as instructed. Fox quickly figured out what was going on, especially when he saw Ava and Wolf waiting at the doorway behind Ironwood. He frowned slightly. They hadn't been on the mission, and he hadn't thought much about it. But now that they were standing over there when, if Fox was correct in his guess, he and the others were about to receive their huntsman licenses, he was a bit confused.

Sure enough, one fairly short ceremony later, they had all received their licenses and ironwood excused himself, telling them to enjoy their cake. Fox walked over to Ava and Wulfe immediately.

"You guys already got yours?" Fox asked.

"Yeah," Ava said as they both held up their scrolls, the holographic screens showing their licenses. "We got hem when we...well...transferred."

"Transferred?" Fox asked.

Wulfe sighed. "It's nothing personal. It's just...with your condition, you've basically become a part of Team RWBY. So...we decided to join Ironwood. You guys definitely don't need us, but Ironwood could use the extra help."

"We're still going to be your friends!" Ava said hurriedly. "We just-"

"It's alright," Fox smiled. "I understand. I wish you two luck."

"Thank you," Ava smiled. "I hope you find a cure for your condition soon. Before it gets any worse."

Fox nodded, glancing at Blake. "I'm not sure how long I have."

"Wait, you're getting worse?" Wulfe asked, startled.

Fox nodded. "Having an anchor...it helps. But it's not a permanent solution."

"Does she know?" Wulfe asked.

"Yeah," Fox said. "She's scared. We both are."

"You'll think of something," Ava said. "You always do."

Fox nodded. "I should get back before it starts to act up."

Ava and Wulfe nodded and both hugged him before turning and leaving. Fox sighed, walking back over to Blake, who gave him a questioning look.

"They've decided to work for Ironwood," Fox said.

"I'm sorry," Blake said.

"It's not your fault," Fox said. "Come on. Let's enjoy this cake before Nora enjoys it all for us."

Blake smiled and nodded, both moving to get a slice before she could steal the entire thing.

* * *

Fox sighed, bringing up the computer generated images of the Grimm Generals he had spent most of the night creating. Everyone stared.

"How do you know what they all look like?" Ironwood asked.

"From what I've seen, they all kept their appearance, except for adopting Grimm colors, so I more or less guessed for all but two," Fox said. "It should be close enough to figure out who's who, though."

They all nodded.

"This is Wendigo," Fox said, starting with her. "She used to be a Huntress who could turn herself into a shadow to move with stealth, avoid attacks, seemingly teleport, and a few other things. She's fast, strong, and a borderline genius tactician."

"She's the one from the mine," Clover said.

"Yes," Fox said. "She's also the second least dangerous physically."

"Which is least dangerous overall?" Qrow asked. "Let's work our way up that way."

"Alright," Fox nodded. "On a scale of overall danger, it will look something like this." He rearranged the Generals, each changing a shade from blue meaning least dangerous to red meaning most dangerous. "This one is powerful, fast, and annoying to try to hit since he had limited intangibility as a Semblance, but he's over all the least dangerous. His moniker was Moryo."

The Grimm was a bipedal one with its legs being jagged black spikes, then a bulky, muscled torso with white rib-like armor plating, a white plate over its head with its eyes glowing yellow, and white claws.

"Next is this one," Fox said, bringing up the same armored, sword-wielding Grimm that had interrupted the fight against Adam. "We called him Jug. Short for Juggernaut. His Semblance was super strength. Physically he's the second most deadly, but the other three have abilities that surpass his. After him is Wendigo. As I said before, she's a genius strategist, making her extremely dangerous. Then, there's the tie."

"The tie?" Ruby asked.

"These two are arguable for who's more dangerous and why," Fox said. "We'll start with this one."

He brought up the hologram of a Grimm with a scythe, a white skull with red cracks, and white bone plating forming the shape of a skeleton on the outside of his otherwise black body. His scythe blade was made up of segmented bone chunks with a jagged, saw-toothed edge inside, and the outer side also sharpened.

"Maria was the Grimm Reaper," Fox said. "This, is Death."

"Death is one of our enemies?" Maria asked. "We're finished."

"You know him?" Fox asked.

"He was the person that inspired _me_ to use scythes," Maria said. "And use the name the Grimm Reaper."

"Who is Death?" Qrow asked.

"He's a true monster," Fox said. "Even before becoming a Grimm. His Semblance is in several parts. First is death precognition. He can sense someone's death before it happens, including his own, and therefore knows how to avoid it. Secondly, he has enhanced speed, reaction time, and agility."

"Aren't speed and agility the same thing?" Nora asked.

"Speed is moving from point A to point B," Fox said. "Agility is the ability to change directions quickly, whether to dodge an attack, throw your own, or run around obstacles. In his case, I only ever say him actually get hit by myself at full power, and then by Salem."

Nora nodded slowly, eyes widening a bit as that sunk in.

"The last part of his Semblance is the most dangerous," Fox said. "Any injury from his scythe, even a scratch, will kill you by severing your soul from your body. As such, his Semblance is known as Death Sentence."

"I think that would probably warrant him as the top spot," Qrow said.

"I'm of the mind that he's second most dangerous," Fox said, everyone staring at him. "The last General is name Nero Shade."

"Wait, _the_ Nero Shade?" Maria asked. "The Moon Wraith!?"

"That's right," Fox nodded.

"Shit," Maria said. "I'll have to agree with your assessment then."

"Who's Nero Shade?" Jaune asked.

"He's a legend," Qrow said. "He's one of the ancestors of the founder of Shade Academy. His Moniker, the Moon Wraith, comes from the legend that his Semblance makes him an invincible force of pure destruction at night, under the light of the moon."

"The legend is wrong," Fox said, everyone staring at him. "His Semblance is easily the most dangerous that's ever existed, and it's one that he hated himself for every day."

"What was it?" Qrow asked.

"Firstly, he drew power from darkness, allowing for his invincibility at night legend, since it enhanced his abilities, speed, strength, agility, reflexes, even his actual Aura, to the point that he could even beat me. Death was the only one who could fight on level with him. But the other side of his Semblance was terrible. Nero was able to control the moon."

"The moon?" Weiss asked. "That's impossible."

"I wish it was," Fox said. "He could control it to change its phase at will."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Jaune said. "I mean, does it really matter what side of the moon is facing us?"

"Yes," Fox, Maria, Qrow, and Ironwood all said together.

"Why?" Yang asked.

"You all didn't get the chance to learn this at Beacon, for obvious reasons," Fox said. "But the Grimm grow stronger or weaker according to the phase the moon is in. A full moon is their weakest. A new moon they're exceptionally dangerous."

"The Eclipse is coming," Blake gasped. "Don't tell me..."

"That's right," Fox nodded. "During a Lunar eclipse, Grimm become powerful beyond imagination."

"How strong?" Ruby asked.

"A Beowulf would be comparable to a Beringel," Fox said, everyone staring at him. "So, with that in mind, something like a Grimm General, such as Death, under the effects of an Eclipse..."

"Would be capable of wiping out an entire army alone," Qrow said.

"No," Fox said. "Not an army. A nation."

"So...one of the generals is able to make all of the others essentially invincible?" Winter asked.

"Yes," Fox nodded. "And as a Grimm himself, he'll undoubtedly have no qualms with doing so."

"What do we do?" Ruby asked. "I've never even heard of a Lunar Eclipse."

"That's because the last time one happened was...three hundred years ago, I think," Fox said.

"That long?" Blake asked. "But, if that was when Nero Shade was alive, I assume, how did Death inspire you to be the Grimm Reaper?"

"Books and legends," Maria said.

"So...What do we do about them?" Ren asked.

"Prepare for a worst-case scenario," Fox said. "An all out war against the Grimm, with these five in the lead."

"We're not ready for a war," Ironwood said. "We're too divided."

"I know," Fox said. "And with these five in the lead of her army, if we send the world into the kind of chaos telling them about Salem will cause these five will probably be let loose and will slaughter everyone. I agree about creating a new communications tower, but we _cannot_ tell the world about Salem until we're absolutely ready."

"I agree," Ironwood nodded. "This changes everything."

"You don't know the half of it," Fox snorted.

"What do you mean?" Ironwood asked.

"I fought Salem once, with these five helping me," Fox said. "We couldn't make a scratch on her. Even Death."

"I see," Ironwood nodded. "We'll think of something. For now, though, the tower needs to be our main priority."

Fox nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to use the bathroom."

Everyone nodded and Fox left, Blake going with him to wait outside the bathroom, just in case he needed her.

* * *

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	36. Chapter 36

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Getting to Work

Fox slashed his way through the Grimm, slaughtering them quickly. He was glad there wasn't anything too ridiculous. He, Blake, and Yang had chosen to help keep the mine clear, so they were working their way toward the mine together. In fact, the three of them had been working together almost constantly since they had killed the Ghast in the mine. Blake couldn't leave Fox, and Yang wasn't willing to work with anyone but Blake, so they all stayed together.

Fox split a Sabyr down the face, killing it, then folded forward at the waist, Blake's sword's cloth swinging over him with Yang on the end of it, sending her flying into a group of the cat Grimm, allowing her to slaughter them. Then, Fox stood, slashing another Grimm as Blake stepped up behind him, slashing two more with her sheath as she pulled her sword back to herself.

"It's kind of fun having Yang around to try and steal you," Fox smiled, switching to his bow and sending an arrow streaking across the ice and into a Manticore's face, killing it as Marrow, their babysitter for the mission, was distracted killing several Sabyrs. "It kind of reminds me of the old days when I had to compete with Sun for your attention."

Blake shook her head. "You're not competing. I only see her as a friend."

"I know," Fox smiled. "It's still fun, though."

He turned, slashing the last Sabyr outside the mine and they headed inside, finding several Grimm that looked like huge wolves. Fox began to fight one group as Blake and Yang dealt with another together, and Marrow covered the entrance.

"Hey have you guys ever thought about branching out?" Marrow asked. "You three always team up, but I don't know if your styles-"

He stopped talking as Yang snarled angrily, her eyes glowing red as she shot forward, driving multiple jabs into a Grimm, planting delayed explosives in its torso before catching Blake's sword, driving the folded up blade into the Grimm's chest before blasting it with her gauntlet sending it flying into the air, Blake swinging it over herself then down into another group of Grimm, the bombs exploding as soon as Blake took her sword back, the entire group of Grimm being destroyed. Marrow's arms fell to his sides just as Fox's sword spun through the air, killing a Grimm behind him and stabbing into the wall just as Fox's shirt began to shine green as Fox tapped into the Emerald woven into the shirt, a shining green aura enveloping him. He drilled his left fist down into a Grimm's head as it lunged at him and planted it into the ground, killing it and cratering the stone beneath him, then grabbed another by the throat with his right hand, lifting it entirely off of the ground, then crushing its throat and destroying it as well. Then, he held his hand out and his sword burst out of the wall, spinning back to his hand and removing the last Grimm's head on the way.

Marrow stared at him, then the girls, then him, then the girls, then finally swallowed hard. "Really... _really_ good stuff. Keep it up. Yeah."

"You keep your opinions about our choice of teams to yourself, and we'll keep our opinions about your role as the Ace Ops comedy relief to ourselves," Fox said. "Now, let's go. We have a mine to finish clearing."

Marrow swallowed hard and nodded, all of them heading into the mine together.

* * *

Fox cracked his neck as he and Blake walked into the training room. It was an amazing room, in which large black cubes with glowing blue edges could be generated to form whatever obstacles the people in the control room wanted. Currently, the room was set up like an arena. Blake wasn't going to fight, not this time, at least. This time she was only there to be Fox's anchor. Fox had decided to train on his own by taking on the entirety of the Ace Ops himself.

"You've got guts," the heavy set female with the hammer, Elm, said.

"Not many brains, though," Clover said.

"We're going to obliterate you," Harriet grinned.

"You should at least have your friend help you," Vine, the bald one dressed like a sort of monk said.

"If I had her help me, it wouldn't be challenging enough for me to improve," Fox said.

The Ace Ops laughed as Fox drew his sword.

"I'll start then," Marrow grinned.

"For my sake, as much as your own, you should all fight at once," Fox warned. "Trust me."

"Nah," Marrow smirked. "I've got this."

He hurled his boomerang, sprinting after it instantly. However, when it reached Fox, he batted it aside with one of the arms of his bow before drawing it back and firing, the arrow slamming into Marrow's chest and launching him backward, slamming into one of the walls of cubes currently forming a square arena for them to fight in. Marrow dropped to the ground, groaning and with his aura just finishing fading.

"I warned you," Fox said. "I'm not a normal Huntsman."

"Noted," Clover said. "Alright. The usual maneuver, then."

He sent out his fishing line and Fox slashed the hook aside before ducking under the glowing orange, stretchy arms of focused Aura that Vine could form over his own arms as his primary weapons. Vine punched and whipped his arms at Fox for several moments before Harriet appeared beside Fox. However, just as she punched at him, his sword crashed into her arm, stopping her fist. Harriet's eyes widened before Elm placed a foot against Fox's back, green focused aura, similar to Vine's arms, formed around her shin and Fox's back before she flipped forward, hurling him under herself at Vine, who drilled an extended punch into Fox's jaw. Fox crashed to the ground before beginning to stand, only for Harriet's fist to crash into his side at super-speed, hurling him. He flipped and rolled through the air before driving his sword into the floor and skidding to a stop. As he did, Elm stepped up in front of him, hammer pulled back, only for Fox to catch the shaft. Her eyes widened before he twisted, yanking the hammer past him, then twisted back the other way, his left fist crashing into her gut, making her drop the hammer. Then, he jumped, spinning and slamming his right heel into her head, throwing her. She crashed to the ground as Harriet shot forward, but as she moved to punch him this time, her fist skipped upward off the flat of his sword before he slashed her. She crashed into Elm just as she was standing, their heads colliding, and their auras faded. Vine sent an arm out but Fox twisted and squatted, grabbing his arm from below before swinging, flipping Vine, who was surprisingly light, over himself and slamming him down on the ground on his back.

Fox grabbed his sword, which he had stabbed into the ground again, only for Clover's fishing line to wrap around him and attach to itself. Then, Clover swung him around, slamming him into a wall before Vine began to pummel him. After a moment, green energy exploded to life over Fox's body, Vine's punches no longer hurting, and he raised his arms, breaking free of Clover's fishing line. Vine shot forward yet again, but Fox jumped backward onto the wall, then off of it, the force shattering the wall before he streaked through the air to Vine, grabbing him by the face and slamming him into the opposite wall, also shattering that one, knocking Vine out. He turned to Clover, who watched him in surprise and a bit of fear.

"Do you surrender?" Fox asked.

Clover looked around at the others, then nodded. "I know when I'm beaten. But...what is that? Your Semblance?"

"Yeah," Fox said, letting the energy fade. "I can control energy. Basically any kind."

Clover nodded. "Explains why you're so strong."

Fox nodded as the others began to pick themselves up off the ground. "So, who wants to go again?"

Everyone who had been incapacitated groaned.

* * *

Fox smirked as he stabbed down through the head of a Sabyr he had been riding around on, killing it and setting his feet on the ground as it disintegrated. Ahead of him, Blake and Yang were dealing with the rest of the swarm of Grimm they'd been tasked with clearing. Blake and Yang really were a good team. Probably better than Fox and Blake were. Fox sighed. He wished he didn't have to keep Blake handcuffed to him so much. She couldn't even spend time with her best friends without him around anymore.

"You okay?" Blake asked.

"Yeah," Fox smiled. "I was just thinking about how to fix my problem."

Blake nodded. "We'll find something."

Fox nodded, smiling, and kissed her, seeing Yang cast them a jealous glance before looking away. He pulled back, smiling, and Blake sighed.

"You shouldn't worry so much," Blake said. "We'll fix you."

Fox smiled, nodding. "I know."

They turned, walking back over to Yang before heading back toward the city.

* * *

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	37. Chapter 37

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Day Off

Fox sighed. After far too long, they'd been cleared to have a night off. Or, at least, it felt like far too long. Between missions, worrying about trying to find a way to fix himself, and training, he felt like he'd been going nonstop. He'd been training with Oscar to teach him to fight the same way he trained a couple of Ozpin's previous incarnations, and the way more than a few had trained _him_. Ruby had probably seen the most improvement, though. Instead of just using her Semblance for speed, she'd learned she could do more. Such as flying at a block with it, then separating into three spiraling red objects, rather than one, to go around it before rejoining.

Fox sighed, resting his face in his hands. He and Blake were currently in their room with the rest of Team RWBY, all of them waiting for team JNPR to finish getting ready for their various groups' plans. Jaune and Pyrrha were going on a date to the movies, Ruby, Ren, and Nora were going to an election party with Penny, who was in charge of security at the party with Marrow, the party being held by Robyn. Of course, the one plan that truly stumped Fox was his and Blake's own plans. Somehow, in some unknowable twist of whatever cruel demon had decided to punish Fox, Team FNKI had invited he, Blake, and Yang out to a club to dance, and Blake had decided she wanted to go, which, of course, meant that Fox was powerless to say no.

"What is it you're doing again?" Weiss asked.

"Team FNKI invited us out to go dancing," Blake said. "I thought it would be a good idea to get our minds of of..." she glanced at Fox for a second. "...well, everything really."

"I thought you said Team FNKI was annoying," Ruby pointed out.

"They are," Fox groaned. "I'm all for going to a club, but only if it's not with them."

"Relax," Yang laughed, she having also decided to go, both for having been invited individually, and for Blake having extended her an invitation as well. "That's the best part about dance clubs." she held her hands up to point at her ears and began to whisper. "I can't hear you."

Blake laughed softly. Fox sighed again and Blake slipped her hand into his, giving him a reassuring smile. He smiled back, giving her a quick kiss just as the door opened, Ren and Nora arriving to collect Ruby. Fox ignored their conversation as Blake moved to sit sideways in his lap, tucking her head under his chin.

"Tonight's going to be fun," Blake promised. "We can drink, dance, ignore Team FNKI, and spend the whole night with just us. We can forget about Salem, the Grimm, the Generals, and your past lives. At least for tonight, it'll just be you, me, and Yang enjoying ourselves." She raised her head to whisper into his ear. "And maybe we can sneak away from Yang to have some fun with just the two of us tonight."

Fox's eyes widened slightly before he smiled, shaking his head. "I think I can accept that."

Blake smiled, kissing him for a few seconds before someone cleared their throat. He turned to look, seeing Ava and Wulfe standing in the doorway. Blake sighed, seeing the serious expression the two of them wore and gave Fox one last quick kiss before standing, letting Fox up. He walked out into the hallway with them just as Yang began to try to teach Blake to dance a bit before they went to the club. Fox chuckled. Blake wasn't very good, but thanks to one of his more social incarnations, he'd be able to fix that within a couple of hours and a few drinks. Assuming Wulfe and Ava weren't about to tell him he couldn't go.

"Hey, I'm going to the movies with Jaune and Pyrrha," Oscar said, sticking his head into the door. "I'd appreciate someone to hang out with so I don't third-wheel."

"Look no further," Weiss said, not wanting to go to Robyn's victory party, when the vote wasn't even finished, and not wanting to go dancing and get involved in whatever kind of a mess Yang liking Blake seemed to have made everyone think Blake and Fox's relationship was now.

She followed him out of the room and past Fox and his former teammates, both of whom had remained silent while he was in hearing range.

"What's up?" Fox asked.

"Tyrian Callows is in Mantle," Wulfe said.

"You're sure?" Fox asked.

"Yes," Wulfe nodded. "I smelled him."

"Fuck," Fox sighed.

"How do you know Tyrian?" Blake asked, leaning against the door frame.

Wulfe's eyes widened and he swore under his breath.

"Relax," Fox said, holding his hand out to Blake, who took it and walked over, hugging him. "I've got no secrets from her. As for your question, we were a part of the group that hunted him down and captured him. This was back when we worked for the White Fang under Sienna directly. She didn't want him to ruin any chance we had for becoming equals with humans, so she sent our team, with Leon back then, after him. We fought him probably half a dozen times while we were trying to pin him down, but he always found a way to escape. At least, until that one Huntsman managed to trap him. And then Salem rescued him."

"Tyrian was captured once?" Blake asked. "Who was he?"

"A serial killer," Wulfe said.

"A psychopath," Fox said.

Blake nodded. "So, what do we do?"

"We need to be careful," Fox said. "God only knows what he's got planned."

Blake nodded again.

"There's something else we need to discuss," Ava said. "Have you found a way to settle your past lives yet?"

"No," Fox said. "Nothing."

Ava nodded. "Please keep looking. We're only staying with Atlas's military for as long as your condition continues. Once you're better, if you want us to, we'll be your team again."

Fox smiled, nodding. "Can't wait."

"We should get back," Wulfe said. "Be careful."

Fox nodded shook the hand Wulfe offered. Ava gave him a quick hug before leaving with Wulfe and Fox sighed, walking back to the room where Yang was waiting patiently.

"Ready to go?" Blake asked.

"Yeah," Yang smiled.

They all left, meeting up with Team FNKI outside, then heading to the club. Yang was right about one thing. Fox couldn't hear FNKI. He couldn't even hear Blake when she leaned so close to his ear that her lips brushed it. It was deafening, and the pulsing of the base vibrated his entire skeletal system. FNKI almost instantly headed for the dance floor, and Yang, not being one for patience, grabbed both Fox and Blake and dragged them onto it as well. Fortunately, as they were winding their way through the crowd in an attempt to find room to dance, someone seemed to complain about the volume, because it turned down considerably, enough that Fox only had to shout loud enough to hurt his throat a little to be heard.

"Do what I do!" Yang shouted over the music, beginning to do a few simple dances.

Fox rolled his eyes, grinning and taking Blake's hands. "Follow _my_ lead! One of my past lives loved clubs! You actually probably would have liked that one, Yang! He was kind of like a male you!"

Yang raised an eyebrow, gesturing for Fox to begin. Fox grinned and started to dance. he started off simple for Blake's benefit, since she was mostly just trying to do what he did. However, after a moment, he saw Yang's superior smirk and shot his own back, spinning Blake and pulling her into him, wrapping his arms around her.

"Close your eyes!" Fox instructed over the music. "Let your body do what it wants!"

"I doubt we can do that in a crowd!" Blake shouted back, though quietly that only he could hear her.

He chuckled, pinching her side and she jerked away, laughing. However, after a moment, she settled back against him, closing her eyes and reaching her arms up to wrap them around the back of his neck, her body beginning to sway to the music. He smiled, moving with her, his hands sliding back to rest on her abdomen. She was still obviously new to dancing, but it wasn't as bad as what she had tried in the room. Yang had tried to show her some kind of fancy dance move involving mostly footwork, and Blake had ended up doing an Irish Jig instead. Now that she was at least dancing somewhat, she wasn't sticking out like a sore thumb. Fox cracked an eye open to glance at Yang and caught the jealous look she was giving them. He smiled apologetically, kissing Blake on the cheek before pulling back. She began to turn but she stopped as he stepped around in front of her grabbing Yang by the arm and pulling her over.

"We're supposed to all be dancing together for fun, Yang!" Fox said. "Quit standing off to the side like a grumpy cat!"

"I'm not a grumpy cat!" Yang snapped, blushing slightly, making Blake giggle.

Yang huffed indignantly, but began to dance anyway, the three of them standing in a circle. After a couple of minutes, Yang began to smile and get more into the music, starting to actually enjoy herself. Fang could still see her struggling not to steal glances at Blake, but he couldn't blame her. Not only was Blake beautiful, but she also was natural flexible and graceful, so her dancing, while not the best, seemed to fit her perfectly, making her all the more beautiful. After a few minutes, however, Fox began to wish he had a drink. The music was giving him a headache, and he desperately wanted to numb it with alcohol. He wasn't a big drinker, but this was as good a time as any.

"I'm going to go get a drink!" Fox shouted to them.

Blake turned to him instantly, but he smiled and shook his head, giving her a quick kiss.

"I'll just be a minute!" Fox said. "Trust me!"

"I trust you to not worry enough about your safety!" Blake shouted back.

"It's fine!" Yang shouted. "I could use a drink too, anyway!"

Fox nodded and they all headed for the bar together. Fox got the same thing his party boy past life had always gotten, two tequila shots and a Jack and Coke, and Yang decided he had the right idea and did the same. Then, Fox and Yang each bought Blake a shot.

"Oh, no, that's okay," Blake said as Fox held out her first shot, the music quiet enough at the bar for them to not have to actually yell. "I'm fine. Really."

"You're drinking with us, Blake," Fox said.

"I've never drank before and-"

"Then this is the perfect time to start," Yang said. "Take the shot with us."

Blake hesitated another minute before accepting it and sighing.

"Inhale, drink, swallow, big exhale," Fox said. "it's going to burn and taste like shit."

Blake nodded and Yang and Fox tapped their shot glasses to hers, then tapped them on the bar before draining them. Blake tapped her own on the bar as well before also draining it, forgetting to take a breath first, or exhale afterward. She coughed, stuck her tongue out in an adorably disgusted face, and settled for a grimace. Fox and Yang both laughed.

"You forgot to breathe," Yang said. "It helps. Promise. Next one."

She held out Blake's other shot as she and Fox both grabbed theirs, but Blake shook her head.

"I'm going to pass," Blake said.

"Oh don't be like that," Fox said. "I doubt we can afford to have Yang drink it for you. If she gets drunk she'll just beat up everyone here."

Blake whined miserably but nodded, accepting the shot. This time, she remembered to inhale and breathe out, so her reaction wasn't as bad. However, it was still funny to see her face scrunch up in disgust. Fox smiled, holding out his Jack and Coke and Yang tapped her glass to his before both took a drink. Fox passed his to Blake and she, mistaking it for normal soda, swallowed the entire thing, only to cough and grimace.

"That wasn't soda!" Blake complained

Fox laughed. "It's got a different type of alcohol mixed in."

Blake groaned. "That was so gross! Can't I just have water?"

Fox nodded, laughing, and ordered himself another Jack and Coke, along with getting her a water. She thanked him and drank a quarter of the bottle while he drained his own drink, smiling. Yang, having gotten more shots, finished several of them and grinned at Fox, flicking her eyes at the last three. Fox snorted, draining all three of them at once. Yang nodded approvingly and stood.

"Let's dance!" Yang cheered.

Fox and Blake both laughed, following her back onto the dance floor, once again beginning to all dance together. Fox felt the alcohol starting to kick in as his head began to grow numb slowly, and he could see the same was happening to Yang and Blake. Yang, being a more experienced drinker than Fox's current body was, and vastly more experienced than Blake, was probably only just starting to feel it, while Fox was enjoying the weightless feeling of the early stages of drinking. Blake, on the other hand, was feeling it hard, having never drank before and apparently being a bit of a lightweight. She was smiling widely, had a blush across her cheeks, and was swaying her hips and twisting her body a bit more freely, her eyes closed and hands in the air. Fox smiled. He was glad he'd agreed to this. He may not be a huge fan of clubs in this life, and he may not be a huge fan of Team FNKI, but he _did_ love spending time with Blake, and having Yang around was fun too. Not just because she was in love with Blake, but because she was a friend, and fun to be around.

A hand tapped Fox on the shoulder suddenly and he turned, only to see a form disappearing into the crowd. However, before they were gone, they glanced back at him and he could swear he caught a glimpse of one pink and one brown eye. His eyes widened and he glanced back at Blake and Yang just as Yang began to try and teach Blake a new dance move again. He turned, pursuing the figure through the crowd. They went further and further before finally disappearing. He sighed. His buzz was gone now. He went to the bar again, quickly ordering and taking three shots before getting a vodka mixed with an energy drink, starting back through the crowd. Finally, he got to where he could see Blake and Yang just ahead, only to stop, raising an eyebrow. Yang and Blake had begun to dance together, Blake apparently drunk enough to not notice he had left, and also drunk enough to be dancing pressed against Yang's back in a fairly inappropriate manor. He smirked. He might be able to get back before she noticed, avoiding her anger at him having gone somewhere without her.

However, before he could rejoin them, Yang turned around toward Blake, looping her arms around Blake and pulling her tight against her, Blake's own arms looping around Yang's neck instinctively. Fox could see the surprise and confusion on her face from where he was, even though Blake continued to sway, her body still pressed flush to Yang's likewise gyrating form. Blake opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Yang's lips captured her own. Blake's eyes went wide with shock, then fluttered for a moment before closing as Blake leaned into the kiss. It was at that moment that Fox's head seared in agony, the pain meeting in a joyous union with the feeling of a shrapnel grenade tearing through his chest. His drink fell from his trembling hand, but before it had even hit the ground, Blake gasped harshly, pushing Yang backward. Then, Fox had turned way just before the glass smashed on the floor. His hands clutched at his head as he staggered off the dance floor and to the small hallway leading to the bathroom. He staggered past several intimately entangled couples, one passed out guy being hauled out by his friends, and a girl snorting cocaine off of the back of her hand. Then, he shouldered into the men's bathroom, groaning loudly before collapsing as a fresh stab of white-hot agony seared through his skull. He felt himself cry out in pain by the vibrating in his throat, but his ears had been deafened by the loud music, the ringing in his ears from it, and the pulse currently pounding through his ears like a machinegun. He couldn't breathe. Memories flooded him and stabbed larger and larger spikes of agony into his brain.

He felt the moment when he began to slip. One second he was groaning Blake's name, unable to call out properly, and knowing it wouldn't do him any good, and the next he was swearing and demanding to know where his subordinates were to the illusions standing around him. Then he was on a mountain top, sitting before a grave as he watched the sunrise, tears running down his cheeks as the handgun pressed harder under his chin. Next he was chained to a wall, Salem standing before him, a tentacles Grimm hovering at her side, its barbed, stinger-like tentacles raised and prepared to inject more of its specially created neurotoxin, one which was designed, and very successfully at that, to target the nerve endings responsible for sensations of pain and set them up to one hundred times normal, after which, the Grimm would use the barbs along its tentacles, in conjunction with Salem's claws, to torture him, just for Salem's entertainment, as they had been for the last three months.

Next, he was lying on the floor again, but in an office, watching under a desk as blood slowly spread into his vision, and in his view under the desk, a woman was being raped by six men. Her beautiful face was streaked with makeup and was dotted by bruises, her nose broken, and her mouth currently being used by one of the men, another two busying themselves behind her while the fourth cracked a whip with barbs along the ends of it against her mangled back. Her bright blue eyes, so light they almost glowed, glanced over at him in fear and desperation, but just as she did, his vision began to darken.

Suddenly he was standing on a battlefield. To his right was a brunette with those same blue eyes, bur a completely different appearance. Across the field of corpses from them, still inside the ring the rest of the battling armies had left for the impending fight, stood a man with sandy blonde hair, shining white, albeit blood-stained, armor, and a black cane with a silver grip, currently held as a sword should be. He charged, the woman at his side, her weapon changing from a small metal cylinder to a rapier. The two of them struck at their opponent rapidly and ferociously, and he fended them off seamlessly, as he had the other five times they'd fought him over the course of the war. And then they were the ones on the defensive. The girl spun around a jab and her rapier became a scythe, sweeping around and around at the man, forcing him back before the scythe became a pair of nunchucks. But then, just as the nunchucks became a spear, the fight was over. In a blistering series of strikes that Fox hadn't even been able to track, the man had placed Fox's blade through the woman's heart, and her spear was now impaled in his own. Fox coughed up blood and blinked.

He was on the bathroom floor again, struggling to catch his breath as someone sobbed into his chest. He blinked several times as his memories slowly settled, allowing him to center himself. He stared down at the short black hair and the black cat ears and recognition slowly began to filter into his pain-addled mind. It was Blake. He raised his left hand, noticing that it felt like his body was made of lead, and set it on her head. She gasped instantly, sitting up and catching his hand, sobbing anew as she saw him smiling weakly up at her.

"Hey," he smiled. "I'm glad you made it."

"You almost died!" Blake snapped. "How can you be smiling!?"

"Because you're here," Fox smiled. "You saved me."

Blake grit her teeth, looking like she wanted to smack him. Instead, she settled for kissing him desperately, Fox kissing her back, smiling. After several seconds, she pulled back, wiping her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Blake said, fresh tears running down her cheeks. "I...I kissed Yang."

"I know," Fox said, brushing her tears away. "I saw. Was it the alcohol?"

Blake hesitated. "I think it was a little of everything. I just...I was having so much fun, and then she was there...and I was drunk and...and she kissed me and..."

"And then you kissed her back, but pushed her away once you realized what you were doing," Fox said. "Do you still have feelings for her?"

Blake's face fell even further. "A little. But I still love you! I'd never leave you! And I swear I'll never do this again!"

"I know," Fox smiled, forcing himself into a sitting position, taking a second to kiss her before looking her in the eyes directly. "I know you wouldn't normally do that, Blake. I trust you. I'm not mad at you. Or Yang, for that matter. With us letting her try to win you over, it was probably bound to happen eventually."

Blake sighed. "I should have made it clear that I wasn't interested from the beginning."

Fox smiled, shaking his head. "Really, I don't mind that you two kissed. If it hadn't been for my episode, I might have actually enjoyed watching for a few minutes before interrupting." He smiled as she blushed. He felt bad for lying to her, but if it made her feel better and less guilty, then it was worth it. "You don't have to apologize or feel bad."

Blake nodded, still looking miserable, but helping him to his feet. "I guess we should probably get back to the academy, huh?"

"I'm fine to stay if you are," Fox said. "Now that I've settled, and have you, I'm okay."

"You're sure?" Blake asked. "It's alright if you want to leave."

Fox smiled, kissing her. "I just need a couple drinks to get my buzz back while I get my body working again, and then I'll be good to go."

Blake smiled and nodded, helping him back out of the bathroom. Yang was waiting nervously in the hallway.

"I'm so sorry!" Yang said. "I swear, I didn't mean-"

Fox held up a hand, smiling. "I'm not angry. You don't owe me an apology. Let's just try and enjoy the rest of the night, alright?"

Yang stared at him for a moment before nodding, smiling. "Alright."

Fox nodded and they headed to the bar where Fox got a new vodka drink like the one he'd dropped. He drank it quickly, and ordered a second, drinking it slowly. However, fifteen minutes later, as he was halfway through that one, the pain starting to dull, a siren began to scream through the room, the music cutting instantly. The chaos began almost immediately. People were stampeding out of the room, shoving their way through the doors. Team FNKI began to try to control the panic so everyone could get out unharmed, but they were struggling.

"We need to find the others," Fox said.

Yang and Blake both nodded and they began to force their way out. However, as they got outside, they saw the chaos had only just begun. Jacques Schnee had somehow won the election, and something horrible had happened. Fox could feel it in the air. Even more than the panic of a Grimm attack. Manticores were flying over their head, Sabyrs were running through the street, and the siren was making Fox's head throb agonizingly.

"Let's go."

* * *

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	38. Chapter 38

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Honest

Fox sighed, leaning against the wall as his head throbbed.

"Boss, you okay? You look like you seen a ghost."

"Fox?" Blake's voice asked, thick with worry.

"I'm alright," Fox said. "Just tired."

"How many episodes have you had in the last week?" a familiar voice asked, Fox's head whipping around to see Wulfe and Ava walking over, both in Atlas uniforms.

"Too many," Blake said as Fox stared, wide-eyed into Ava's shockingly, almost glowing, blue eyes.

He had never noticed how blue her eyes were. Or, at least, not consciously. Suddenly, he was lying in a bed.

"Hey, watcha thinkin' about?" the entirely different woman with eyes like Ava's asked, this one a ginger with naturally tanned skin.

The sheets rustled as she moved to lay her nude form along his.

"Just about how beautiful your eyes are," he said. "They always make me feel right at home. They're so familiar. Funny, though. Originally I chose you as a one night stand, but I think I might just keep you now."

"Fox!" Blake snapped, jarring him out of his episodes, though his legs gave out and he fell to the ground, gasping for air, not having realized he had either been holding his breath or unable to.

Sweat rolled down his face.

"Have you two been fighting Grimm all night?" Ava asked.

"Yes," Blake nodded. "But his episodes have been getting worse lately. Being around me barely even helps anymore."

Ava nodded. "He needs rest."

"I'm fine," Fox said, forcing himself to his feet.

"Fox, you just had an episode while holding your anchor's hand," Ava said. "You _need_ to rest. If you don't, you'll die."

Fox was silent for a long while before sighing and nodding. They headed back to their room and Blake gently pushed Fox down onto the bed, sitting in his lap facing him and cupping his face, making him look up at her.

"How long do you have?" Blake asked, eyes watering but filled with determination.

"A few days," Fox sighed. "At most."

Blake's tears began to fall, but she nodded. "Then we're going to spend it lying in bed and doing whatever we want."

Fox smiled, kissing her. She kissed him back happily just as pain lanced through his head. He ignored the memories, continuing to kiss her until the images had faded, then lay down with her, Blake snuggling into his chest and curled her fists in the front of his shirt. He smiled, tucking his face into her hair, allowing his tears to fall as he waited. Finally, her breathing evened out as she drifted off to sleep, her grip growing slack. He smiled, kissing her forehead gently before pushing himself up as pain lanced through his head. He looked out the window at the darkening sky.

"Please be patient," Fox mumbled. "I just need a little more time."

He pulled out a note pad and a pen, writing a letter to Blake, then ripped it off, writing a second letter. He put the note pad and pen away, glancing at Blake before placing the first letter in the pocket of her coat, which was hanging on one of the bedposts. Then, he glanced at her before slipping out of the room to deliver the second letter, taking care to not be seen, then returned before Blake knew he was gone. He walked over to her, staring out the window for a moment before sitting on the bed and leaning down, kissing Blake to wake her, Blake smiling and kissing him back. After a moment, he pulled back.

"We need to go," Fox said. "We need to help."

Blake sighed, nodding, and stood, pulling her jacket on. He slipped his hand into hers, keeping her from reaching into the pocket with the letter. They headed up to Ironwood's office.

"Blake, Fox," Ironwood said. "Are you feeling better?"

"Not really," Fox said. "Where do you need us?"

Ironwood thought for a moment. "Can you go with Yang to try and lure out Robyn?"

"Sure," Fox nodded. "Where to?"

"The vehicle bay," Ironwood said. "You'll be taking a truck as a decoy."

"Got it," Fox nodded, he and Blake leaving.

"Are you sure you want to be around Yang right now?" Blake asked.

"I told you I'm not mad," Fox smiled. "Besides, I don't want your friendship with her, or mine, to end over one mistake."

Blake opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself, reaching up and wiping her eyes. "Okay."

Fox nodded and they reached the vehicle bay just in time to climb into the vehicle with Yang.

"What are you doing here?" Yang asked. "You can't keep going! You're going to work yourself to death! Literally."

Fox smiled. "I'll be alright." He shut the doors and the truck pulled out, Blade cuddling into his side, tears spilling down his cheeks. Yang stared at the floor and Fox wrapped her arms around Blake, watching Yang carefully. She didn't look at Blake, this time. But he could see the guilt in her eyes still. Finally, she looked up at Fox.

"How long?" she asked, voice thick with emotion.

"Not long," Fox said, Blake struggling not to sob.

A face flashed through his mind. "Hang in there boss! These episodes ain't gonna get the best of you!" His face faded.

Another came. "Ash! Please! Don't leave me! Not yet! I want more time!" Her face faded too.

"Fox?" Blake asked. "Another one?"

Fox nodded.

"Why is this happening?" Yang asked. "I thought being around Blake was supposed to stop it."

"Delay it," Fox said. "It's happened before. Once it starts...it's only a matter of time."

Blake's eyes watered. "It's not fair!"

"No, it's not," Fox agreed. "But it's not something we can control anymore."

Just then, Yang's scroll beeped and she answered, Clover's face appearing on the holographic screen.

"Thanks again for the assist on this, you three," Clover said. "Now we may all be split between different trucks, but we need to be ready to act as one in case Robyn's team takes the bait. If your truck is hit, pursue immediately. Everyone else will be there as fast as possible. Going radio silent. Over."

He disconnected and Yang put her scroll away.

"Could Jinn save you?" Yang asked.

"I don't know," Fox said. "She said that one of the times this happened, the only other one she knows about, she showed me all of my memories at once, but I don't remember that one. I don't know if it would save me or not. And either way...It's not worth it. That last question is too important to waste on me."

Yang stood suddenly, tears leaking from her eyes. "But you're..." She sat back down, holding her hands to her face. "There has to be a way."

"Without Ozpin, there's nothing," Fox said. "And even then, it would basically just be kicking the can down the road, if I had to venture a guess." He sighed. "I'm not arresting Robyn. She wants to help, but doesn't know what we're really up against. If we tell her, she can work with us."

"I agree," Blake said.

"Same," Yang said. "How much should we tell her?"

"Enough," Fox said. "About Amity, at least.

The others nodded. Just then, the truck slowed to a stop. Fox sighed, wincing as his head began to throb, slowly getting worse. Finally, the doors opened, Robyn freezing as she saw the three of them, all with their hands raised.

"Scramble!" Robyn shouted, her team scattering instantly.

"No wait!" Blake shouted.

They ran after her, pursuing her down an alleyway as she ordered her team to split up and regroup at their hideout. Robyn spun, firing several crossbow bolts from her wrist launcher at them but Fox slashed them out of the air before taking off, speeding forward as his shirt glowed green wrapping his arms around Robyn and tackling her into an open area away from the street. He stood, releasing her and stepping back as Blake and Yang stepped up beside him.

"We only want to talk," Fox said, tossing his sword away. "There are things you need to know. You're trying to help, but you don't know what it is that we're really doing."

"Why should I believe you, Snow White?" Robyn asked. "You're just stalling until the Ace Ops get here."

"No," Fox said. "I'm trying to tell you as much as I can before we let you get away. Please."

Robyn glared at him suspiciously for a moment before holding out her hand. "Take my hand. If you don't, I won't believe a word out of your mouth."

Fox took her hand, her violet aura shining along both of their forearms.

"Tell me," Robyn said. "What is Ironwood building out in the Tundra?"

"He's building a-" he dropped, his free hand clutching at his head as a strangled cry of pain tore out of him, his other hand clenching Robyn's in pain.

"Let go of me!" Robyn said. "What the hell's wrong with you!?"

"Fox!" Blake panicked, dropping to her knees in front of him, tears coursing down her cheeks as she lifted his head. "Come back to me! Please!"

He didn't respond, so she tried kissing him. After a moment, he kissed her back tiredly before pulling back, panting heavily.

"Are you alright?" Blake asked worriedly.

"Yeah," Fox smiled, though the aura around his and Robyn's arms turning red told a different story. He smiled tiredly and sighed as Blake's tears began to fall again.

"What the hell was that?" Robyn asked as Blake helped Fox stand.

"Memories from my past lives," Fox said, the aura turning green.

"I have...so many questions," Robyn said, then sighed. "But that'll have to wait. What is Ironwood building."

"A communications tower that he plans to launch into the atmosphere where it can never be destroyed," Fox said, the aura again turning green.

"You're telling the truth," Robyn breathed, taking her hand back. "But it doesn't make any sense! Why keep that a secret!?"

"Because he doesn't know who he can trust," Blake said. "Atlas isn't out to get anybody. The people murdering civilians in Mantle are just trying to make it look that way."

"And if those same people learned about Amity, they'd do everything in their power to destroy it," Yang added.

"So who are they?" Robyn asked. "Who is actually behind this?"

"Yang, Blake, Fox?" Harriet's voice asked over their communicators suddenly. "Where are you?"

"Time's up," Fox said, sitting down, Blake kneeling behind him, allowing him to lay back and set his head in her lap. "You need to leave. We'll try to convince Ironwood to talk to you and the council and tell everyone everything. Please trust us."

Robyn was silent as she backed into the shadows. "I won't stop until I know the whole truth." Then, she turned and fled, Yang kneeling on Fox's other side.

"You three!" Clover said, running over to them. "What happened?"

"I had another episode," Fox said, allowing himself to sound as weak and tired as he really was. "Robyn got away. Sorry."

Clover sighed. "It's alright. We just...We're glad you're okay. Come on. Let's get back to Amity. Robyn won't steal anymore trucks tonight."

Fox nodded and forced himself up, Blake helping him support his weight as they headed back to the nearest truck.

* * *

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	39. Chapter 39

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Calling

Fox eyed the giant suits of armor in silence. When Jacques Schnee had invited Ironwood for a "celebration" of his victory in the election, as well as to answer for his actions, Fox had not wanted to go. And yet, here he was. Weiss had gone to explore her house to find out what her father was hiding, likely to include a method of cheating in the elections, and the others were all milling around waiting for something to happen. Suddenly, Weiss returned, storming toward the dining room. However, just as Fox and the others turned to follow, Fox felt the same pang shoot through his head, angrier this time. They were done waiting. It was time. He watched the others hurry after Weiss. It wouldn't take long for Blake to notice his absence. He looked to Ava, and her eyes met his, widening. He remembered her now. Truly. He smiled sadly. He patted his right leg and she nodded, turning and continuing after the others. Then, Fox turned, hurrying out of the house and tapping into his Semblance.

A shining green energy shroud enveloped him instantly and he streaked away from the Schnee family's mansion, returning to the academy. He ran to Team RWBY's room, placing the letter he had left for Yang on her pillow, placing her bracers on it, then sighed, speeding out of the school again. Just as he stepped outside, an alarm began to scream from below Atlas. Mantle was under attack by Grimm. It had begun. However, as he reached the edge of Atlas's flying platform and prepared to jump, he saw that the heating in Mantle was off, and there was a flood of Grimm, Goliaths, Sabyrs, Wyverns, Manticores, Chimeras, all heading toward the breach in Mantle's outer wall. The others would handle evacuation, but the Grimm would be a problem. He could thin the crowd a bit while heading for the others.

Just as he was about to jump off, the world around him suddenly turned dark red, the bloody light sweeping across the ground below in a wave. He looked up, eyes widening as he stared at the moon. It had changed. Normally, thanks to gravity acting on a half-shattered moon, it would swing its full side back and forth at Remnant like a pendulum. Now, however, the shattered half was facing Remnant directly, with the shattered pieces filling the sky around the moon, seeming to be floating around it rather than beside it. And shining from the center of the moon was a blood red light, like some kind of eye, shining with malice and evil intentions as it watched Remnant, watched the Grimm mutate and grow stronger under its wicked gaze.

And grow stronger they did. The Goliaths grew even larger by almost another quarter their original size, their tusks and trunks growing spiked, and their eyes, like the eyes of every Grimm for the duration of the Eclipse, shone with the same wicked light as the moon above. The Wyverns grew larger, the wings grew arms along the top as their torso's bulged into hulking masses of muscle covered in darkness, their necks elongated, their claws grew, and they began to roar, sending jets of flame spewing from their mouths. The Sabyrs all doubled in size and began to multiply by duplication, like a cell. The Manticores and Chimeras grew almost fifty percent each and both began to spew fire as well.

Fox swallowed hard and dropped, crashing down between the flood of enhanced Grimm and the fleeing Atlas military that stood no chance of even slowing them. He drew his sword, shifting it to a bow and fired a single arrow into the air before shifting it back, extending the handle. Then, the arrow burst, hundreds of smaller ones raining down on the army of Sabyrs and on the Goliaths. As soon as it did, Fox rocketed forward, energy once again encasing him, roaring and raging like an emerald-green fire. He reached the Grimm and began to carve his way through, spinning and slashing, stabbing, kicking, punching, jumping, and blasting Grimm with energy, slaughtering them rapidly, but doing little besides slowing them down, just as the arrows had, only having killed two of the dozens of Goliaths, and only about a hundred of the Sabyrs of the two hundred or so there had been. Pain lashed through Fox's brain, bringing memories with it. Unlike every other time, he didn't fight this one, allowing the memories to come as he fought.

He was on a date. They were at some Italian restaurant, and he had just made his date laugh, admiring the way her already shining blue eyes seemed all the brighter when coupled with that angelic smile and laughter. He leapt into the air, slashing a Goliath along the side, an energy extension on his blade deepening the wound, killing the Grimm. Then, he shifted the energy extension into a massive hammer head, exploding down on a swarm of Sabyrs.

As several dozen sets of claws tore into him as the rest of the Sabyrs washed over him like water in a river, he was suddenly in a field. Flowers of every kind and color, a rainbow of beauty around him, and an arguably better beauty in his arms, her blue eyes taking in the sight before her in awe. Fox roared, an explosion of energy flashing off of him, blasting the Sabyrs around him and allowing him to continue shredding his way through the Grimm, removing the legs of several Goliaths and removing one's head on his way up to land on a Wyvern as it flew low. He stabbed it in the back and yanked to the side, making it veer into another's path, both of them dying on impact before Fox fell toward another Goliath.

He was racing through a battlefield. He didn't know who his enemy was. His money pouch was weighted enough that he didn't need to care. He reached the line of humans and Faunus alike, tearing through them instantly. Fox landed on the Goliath's head, driving his blade down into its brain before sprinting forward, splitting its spine down the middle. Then, he leapt off of it, switching to a bow and forming three arrows, firing them into three Goliaths' heads, killing all three. He broke free of his enemy's vanguard and stopped. She was there. His one true rival. The only person he'd ever allowed to live. She drew her swords, her golden eyes catching the light of the fires, explosions, and the moon above as she stared defiantly into his.

"Don't do this," Fox said. "You know how this is going to end if you do this."

"I won't let you kill that child," she said in a voice Fox would love just as much as he did now, many, many lifetimes later. "I don't care who payed you to kill him, and I don't care that he's the king. He's a child, and _nothing_ will _ever_ excuse that."

"I'm not killing him for the money," he said. "I'm fighting for it. I'm killing him because she said to. You don't know what she's like, and I don't want you to ever know. I'm sorry. I love you, but I can't let you stop me. If I do, she'll be coming after you personally."

"Then this is goodbye," she said.

Fox sobbed once before a Manticore's stinger crashed into his chest, hurling him backward but not getting through his energy layer. He, bounced, flipped, and landed on his feet, streaking forward and splitting the Manticore, continuing to carve his way through the Grimm. Finally, he exploded out of the flood of Grimm.

Bodies crashed around him and he grinned wickedly, licking the blood off of his lips as he flexed his left hand, the clawed gauntlet's fingers clinking together as he did, his right hand holding his sword. Then, he was off again, his sword, claws, and the blades attached on his shin guards in front and back ripping through more and more of his deliciously vulnerable victims as he spun and slashed and tore through them. She would be happy with him, he hoped. If he could kill enough of them, he'd get to enjoy himself, and he'd be able to impress Mistress Salem.

Fox slowed to a stop as he stared at the Grimm Generals. All of them. His former friends. Moryo, with his bone plating now spiked, and his fingers grown into jagged, serrated claws. Jug with his sword in-hand, his plate armor, and his cape formed from pure darkness. Wendigo, crouched on all fours, watching him. Death, scythe resting on his shoulder, blade downward behind him, teeth a mouthful of fangs. And finally Nero Shade. A pair of curved, serrated blades made of darkness held in reverse grip, darkness clinging to him like a shroud, similarly to Fox's energy shroud, but looking more like smoke, white bone forming a skull-themed half-mask, thick black fluid running down from the mask's eyeholes like tears. All five of their eyes shone with the same blood-red light of the eclipsed moon.

No one spoke. No one gave any sign that they were about to begin. They just did. All of them. Fox's blade crashed into Death's scythe, halting it before using it to flip into the air, allowing him to only barely avoid Jug's sword. Then, he flipped, using the sword to block Wendigo's claws, sending him exploding into the ground.

He flipped over Ozpin's cane, throwing a punch, only for Ozpin to use his white sword to block the blow, streaking forward and slamming the cane in his other hand into him rapidly. Finally he spun, slamming him into the ground before finishing his spin, the white sword descending.

Fox spun out of the way of Death's scythe, raising his sword just in time for the outer edge to crash into it, launching him backward. He flipped, slashing downward as hard as he could, connecting with Jug's blade and flipping himself into the air before flipping and once again slashing downward as he fell at Moryo, who was moving to slash him with his claws. Except, he passed through Moryo instantly. Then, Death's scythe suddenly flashed out of Moryo's intangible body, Fox throwing his upper body backward and only narrowly escaping, beginning to fend the scythe off in shower after shower of sparks, retreating rapidly. He dodged to the side as Death lunged, but Death planted a foot, rotating his scythe and spinning, the blade sparking off of Fox's and flashing around toward Jug, only to stop on a dime. Then, a massive beam of emerald energy exploded into the pair, sending them both flying, smoke curling off of them.

He spun, deflecting Salem's claws and Death flipped into the air over her, Jug slamming his sword into the back of Death's scythe, sending him spinning down at her in a blur. However, before he could reach her, she swiped a hand, several Beringels getting in his scythe's way, slowing it just for an instant, just enough for Salem's fist to explode into him, sending him exploding into the ground. She spun, sidestepping Fox's blade and spun, grabbing him, his shining white energy shroud vanishing instantly before she spun in a complete circle, batting all five of his allies away with his body.

Fox's sword blocked both of Nero's blades as his foot crashed into Moryo's chest, finally tangible again. The impact sent Fox skidding backward, barely able to hold onto the sword. Then, he spun, blocking Wendigo's claws, only for her to drop into his shadow, immediately reappearing from the shadow behind him, her claws driving themselves into his back.

"Oh my God!" Weiss's voice shrieked into his ear through his communicator. "Fox was right! There are Grimm coming out of my house! They're leaving the city!"

"They're heading for that explosion earlier!" Pyrrha's voice said, just as Fox staggered forward, communicator falling out.

He turned back to the others and deflected an Arma Gigas's sword, sending it out to block another. There were five of them. And all of them showed no interest in anything but him. He spun, diving to the side as Jug's sword exploded down where he'd been. He rolled to his feet and spun, blocking Death's scythe, holding it back for a moment before shoving it away and launching himself backward, switching to a bow and pulling it back, sighting in at the Arma Gigas' eye slits.

She screamed as he held her down, so he closed his hand around her throat. It didn't matter if someone had heard. It was almost over. He just needed another minute. At most. She fought to be free. Slapped and struggled. And then her strength left her as her body betrayed her yet again, her golden eyes wide and rolling back. And then it was too late. It was already over.

Fox landed on the now harmless helmet, roaring in pain and rage. Moryo shot forward, appearing in front of him, only for his arm to spin into the air. Fox's left fist exploded into his side and he rocketed away, exploding into Jug, both bouncing away. Fox leapt backward, his back slamming into Death's arms as he pulled his scythe back and Fox flipped backward, kicking Death away, keeping the scythe before spinning and hurling it at Nero. Wendigo shot out of the shadow of a pauldron beside Fox, her claws raking across his chest before his knee exploded into her gut. She lifted into the air and Nero passed under her, his blades both shredding their way across his torso in an "X" before Nero slipped past Fox. He spun, throwing a kick at him, only for Nero to dance away.

He retreated rapidly the behemoth of a man bearing down on him, his bulging arms swinging the club over and over, each blow only barely deflected. Then, the behemoth knocked the sword away and the next blow cracked him over the head. Then another, and another, and another.

Moryo bounced away from Fox before Jug's sword sprouted from his abdomen, piercing his diaphragm, before being yanked away from jug, Fox's own blade exploding into Jug's armor and sending him bouncing away as well, though without breaking through the armor. Then, Nero ripped the blade out, his own splitting Fox's back in an uppercut from his right side to his left shoulder. Fox staggered forward, Death slashing at him from the front, but he deflected the scythe over himself, shoving himself to his feet and stepping forward, slamming his forehead into Death's. Death staggered back a step and Fox roared, in effort, a beam of energy exploding out of his entire body into Death from point blank range, the explosion hurling them both. Fox crashed down hard, rolling to a stop as his energy shroud and aura both faded. He set his sword on the ground, slowly pushing himself to his feet. Then, Jug reached him, slashing downward. Fox roared in effort, his energy shroud blazing to life once more as his sword swung up to meet Jug's. Then, there was a deafening crash and both swords finished their slashes as Fox stumbled to the right as his slash's momentum carried him a few steps.

He stared at her as the last of her life drained out of her, the ghost of her last loving smile still on her lips, despite his sword still protruding from her back. He grit his teeth before screaming in pain and loss, raising one of her swords and driving it into his own chest, only for the sword to fade, then the world around him.

"We owe you an apology," the gold being hovering before him said. "This was not what we wanted for you when we created you. We did not believe we would cause you this pain. We will give you the chance to be with her once again. One last time. However, the next time you meet her, it will be your final lifetime."

Fox stared forward across the ground, his head turned to his left side. Before him, his shattered sword lie in the snow, Useless and abandoned. The world began to lighten as the eclipse slowly began to fade, the moon returning to its half-phase. The whole thing darkened from view for a moment before lighting back up at its proper alignment again. He watched the Generals all walk over to stand beside Wendigo before all sinking into the ground.

"Fox!"

He smiled weakly as he looked over at Blake, who had almost all the others just behind her. "You...came."

"Fox!" Blake sobbed, kneeling beside him, taking his hand. "Stay with me! Please! I can't lose you!"

Fox smiled sadly. "I...was...prison."

Blake stared at him, eyes wide and tears flowing from them.

"You're...free...now," Fox smiled.

His smile began to fade, but he focused just enough to look Yang in the eye, Yang nodding once. Then, he set his head down, turning his gaze to the stars and smiling slightly again, allowing himself to slip away.

* * *

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	40. Chapter 40

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

Saying Goodbye

"You are going to sit there and be quiet!" Winter snapped at her father.

"Where's Fox?" Blake asked suddenly, everyone looking around, Blake starting to panic. "Fox!?"

"Don't worry," Ava said. "We'll find him."

"We have to hurry!" Blake said, only for Ava to pull her into a tight hug.

"It's going to be okay," Ava said. "But only if you think things through carefully. Where would he go?"

She began to pull away, taking care to brush the paper, making the inside of her coat's pocket brush against it. Blake glanced down and froze, eyes widening slowly as she slowly reached into her pocket. There it was. A piece of folded paper. A letter. She pulled it out, unfolding it and staring. Tears flooded down her cheeks instantly and her hands trembled. Yang stepped up beside her, reading it silently over her shoulder.

"Blake, there are so many things I want to say. There are so many memories I wanted to tell you about. Not all of my episodes have been bad things. Not all of them have been different incarnations either. The memories are all jumbling together. But I remembered that first time you and me went to get tea without Sun. I remembered seeing you the first time. You were moody, and you wanted to be left alone, but you were so beautiful. I knew right away that I was going to make a fool of myself by falling for you, but I just couldn't help it. And yet, never in my wildest dreams, would I have ever thought you would actually feel the same.

"I have so many happy memories of my time with you swirling through my head. I wish we had more time. I wanted to be able to have a family with you. I wanted to marry you, and watch you grow old and still be the most beautiful woman on the planet. I wanted to talk you out of being a Huntress, hide you away from Salem. I wanted to spend my life with you in happiness and peace. I wanted more time. But fate is cruel.

"By the time you read this letter, I'll already be long gone. The Generals have all assembled. They're all here. As I write this, I can feel their summons. They've come for me, and if I don't go to them, they'll come to me. And then they'll wipe out anyone and everyone who gets in their way to do it. No one will survive that. So I'll stall as long as I can, but I'll have to go to them eventually. Please don't come after me. They're going to bring an army with them. You have to stop it. You have to defend the city. And you have to let me go. I'm begging you. Please. Let me go. Be with Yang. Or Sun. Or Ilia. Someone. Let them in. Let them put your heart back together after I break it. Just please, don't come after me. There will be nothing for you but pain and an army of Grimm. Never forget that I love you. I have always love you, and I always will."

Just as Yang reached the end, the paper slipped from Blake's hands and she began to sob and scream. Yang pulled her into a hug but Blake shoved her away.

"We have to save him!" Blake shrieked. "We have to find him before he fights the Generals!"

Just then, a bloody light shone through the window, everyone staring at it.

"Oh my God," Ironwood breathed as sirens began to scream through the city.

"It's begun," Yang said.

"Fox!" Blake screamed, fighting to break free of Yang's arms.

"Stop!" Yang said. "LISTEN TO ME! ! ! Fox wanted you to stay AWAY! ! ! He left without you because he wanted to protect you! If you go now, he'll have died for nothing! Is that what you want!?"

"I can't live without him!" Blake sobbed. "I'm sorry! But I can't live without him!"

Yang sighed. "Okay. Then you and I are going to go together. I have to get my bracers from the school. Come with me, and once we're there, we can head straight for him."

"I'll fly you there," Ava said. "I'm faster than running."

Yang nodded and looked to Blake, who also nodded. The three of them ran outside, Ava ditching her boots on the way, and as soon as there was room, she spread her wings, picking up the two girls and flying them to the school. Yang sprinted through it to her, Ruby, and Weiss's room while Blake headed to her and Fox's to grab extra Dust. Yang stopped, seeing the letter under her bracers. She picked them up, pulling them on, then read the note, sitting down hard.

"Yang, if you're reading this, you probably already know what's going on. If not, I'll make it brief. I'm going to fight the Generals. I won't be coming back. I want you to look after Blake. She's going to be hurting, and she's going to try to push everyone away, but she loves you. Aside from me, you're the only person she could ever be happy with. No matter what else happens, please don't let her near the Generals. I know you, and I know that if she asks you to, you'll sacrifice yourself to try and save me so I can be with her. But I'm going to die whether I fight the Generals or not. Blake can't hold back the episodes anymore. It's too late for me. So please, just this once, be a selfish bitch. Keep her away from me. Let the Generals kill me and use the pain of my death to win Blake's heart. Do whatever it takes. Steal her from me. Please. Mend Blake's heart. Protect her, love her, and don't ever let her feel alone once I'm gone. This will be the last thing I ever ask of you, so please, just this once, be completely selfish. For once, what you want to do is the best option."

She crumpled the note, holding it to her head as tears fell down her face. It wasn't fair. He couldn't ask her to do that. He was her friend too. And he was everything to Blake. If she stole him like that, she'd never be able to forgive herself. She could never live with herself if she had Blake only because of something like that.

"Yang?" Blake asked, stepping into the room, staring at the letter. "What is that?"

Yang let out a shaky laugh. "He asked me to steal you. He wanted me to let him die and steal you for myself so that I could make you happy in his place." She ripped up the paper and dropped the pieces in the trash. "Come on. We have to save your fiancé."

Blake smiled and nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Yang smiled. "I'll have plenty of time to steal you fairly after we save his ass."

Blake forced a smile and nodded, the two of them running out to Ava. Ava picked them up instantly and flew them down to the city. Grimm were already flooding the streets. Goliaths, Sabyrs, Manticores, Chimeras. It was an army. And there, in the distance, she could sense Fox battling the generals.

"We need to be-" Yang trailed off as Blake released a war cry and charged.

And then, she was Death Incarnate. She flipped and spun, slashed, stabbed, shot, and left behind clones that used both their blades and Dust to slaughter any Grimm that got close to landing a hit. After a moment, Yang charged after Blake, Ava just behind her, currently carrying a pair of scimitar-like broadswords. The two of them fought as hard as they could, Yang using her Semblance whenever it was charged enough to deal a good deal of damage to a bunch of Grimm, and Ava slaughtering Grimm as quickly and effortlessly as she ever did, her weapon never remaining in the same force for more than a half-dozen Grimm, and never using the same form more often than with a dozen different forms in between. And yet, even between the two of them, they were nowhere near catching up with Blake. Blake had seemed to have achieved a whole new level of deadliness. Even Goliaths fell to her in moments.

Yang swore as a Manticore batted her into Ava, both crashing to the ground. However, when the Grimm all flooded toward them, a dozen Wulfe clones surged past them, their claws and lasers slaughtering the Grimm, most of the clones actually already having gone Feral, just for the added power of it. The real Wulfe walked over, kneeling beside them and offering his hands.

"You're falling behind," Wulfe said. "She's going to need us if the Generals are still there."

The others nodded and they stood, the three of them charging again, beginning to once again tear into the Grimm, managing to slowly begin to gain on Blake this time. Wulfe and Ava made a perfect team, as Yang expected. Wulfe handled near targets, fast Grimm, and weaker Grimm with his claws, while Ava slaughtered larger, slower ones, as well as any fast ones, in this case the Sabyrs, that he missed. Then, Wulfe would deal with anything far away or anything big, like the Wyverns or Goliaths, using his laser. his clones just generally wreaked havoc around them, but it still helped. Finally, they caught up with Blake just as they broke out of the back of the Grimm army, stepping out of the city only to stop as the giant armored Grimm General's sword exploded down through Fox's, taking off his left arm just above the shoulder as well, sheering the ribs on his left side, along with his collar bone and shoulder blade. Then, Fox collapsed onto his back, his head falling to the left. The Generals all looked over at them as Ruby and Weiss, Team JNPR, and Qrow all arrived, staring at the scene.

"No," Blake breathed as the Generals began to sink into the ground and the Eclipse ended. "FOX! ! !"

Fox looked over at Blake, smiling weakly as they all sprinted to him, Blake sprinting to his side instantly, Ava on the other side. "You...came."

"Fox!" Blake sobbed, kneeling beside him, taking his hand. "Stay with me! Please! I can't lose you!"

Fox smiled sadly. "I...was...prison."

Blake stared at him, eyes wide and tears flowing from them.

"You're...free...now," Fox smiled.

His smile began to fade, but he focused just enough to look Yang in the eye, Yang nodding once. She would be there for Blake. Of course she would. Because it was her fault. Maybe if she'd had her bracelets already, they could have made it in time.

Fox set his head down, turning his gaze to the stars and smiling slightly again, allowing himself to slip away. Blake began to sob instantly, laying on his chest and begging him not to go, even as his aura began to shimmer, slowly growing brighter. Most of the other girls began to cry too. Yang, Ruby, Pyrrha, Nora. But not Ava. She was smiling sadly, but she didn't cry.

"I guess it boils down to my decision," Ava said, everyone but Blake staring at her. Ava sighed, reaching over and resting a hand on Blake, making her sit up. "I can save him, but I don't have long."

"You can..." Blake stared at her in pure awe and hope.

"How?" Yang asked.

"With my Semblance," Ava said, just as Fox's body broke apart into a cloud of shining white spheres of energy. Ava raised her hand, her aura shining white around it and the sphere halted, floating back down slowly into the clothes they'd left behind, rebuilding Fox's body. Once it had been restored, minus his amputated arm but with the wounds no longer bleeding, Ava set her hands on Fox's chest, shining white waves of aura energy flooding from her and over him, turning green the moment it met his shirt, which shone, the same way it did when Fox used his Semblance. "Or, I suppose, _his_ Semblance."

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked.

"I'm not a real person," Ava smiled, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks as his blood vessels sealed themselves. "I've been with Fox for going on fifty incarnations now. I was created from his own lifeforce using his Semblance. I was originally meant to replace you after the first time he met you, Blake."

"Wait, what?" Ruby asked.

"Sorry," Ava said. "It's too long a story. You'll have to have him tell you." She sniffed, tears beginning to fall faster. "I love you, Wulfe. You're the first person I've ever loved beside him, in all my centuries of life, all the incarnations he and I have been through. You're so special, and you're so amazing. Even though I was specifically created to be Fox's anchor, specifically created to be in love with Fox, I couldn't help but fall for you. I will always love you. Please remember that."

Wulfe swallowed hard and nodded.

Ava smiled. "And don't think any less of him for this. This really is my choice, not his. After this, he won't be able to reincarnate again. By stopping it, I've ended his cycle. This will be his last life. And he'll be able to live it without any episodes. I'm making sure that the memories themselves are gone, but the knowledge of all he's done stays." She sniffed again, then smiled. "Now all that remains is to give him back the power he used to create me. Goodbye Wulfe. I'll always love you." Then, she leaned down, pressing her lips to Fox's, and suddenly both of them shone a pure, blinding white.

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	41. Chapter 41

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

One Final Second Chance

Warmth. A gentle, flowing tide of warmth. It rocked him gently, like an infant in his mother's arms. It comforted him. It stilled the thoughts swirling through his head, and it dulled the pain that blocked his senses. He let out a long, slow breath. It felt like so long since he'd been warm. Since he'd been calm. He could almost smile if he had the strength. Almost. but then, he couldn't smile. Now wasn't the time for that. he was supposed to be dead. He was supposed to not remember. Or, was this death? Was this what happened when he reincarnated? He felt tired. Exhausted, even. Was this how it always went? Was he supposed to drift off to sleep, and lose himself in the bliss of that rest? If he decided to just leave his eyes closed, to allow the comforting embrace of temporary oblivion claim him, would he wake as someone else, some where else, and with no memory of what had been?

"Such a cruel fate," He sighed, opening his eyes and staring out at the warm, white void he found himself in. "More a curse than a blessing. Live, die, repeat. Love, lose, forget. Over and over."

Faces swam before him in the void, people he'd loved in his past lives, both romantically and platonically. A sea of those he'd lost. A sea of those he'd killed, failed to protect, or left behind. Those he'd never see again. So many of them.

"Why did you give me this fate?" He asked the void. "What did you think I could accomplish like this? What did you think I could do? What was there for me _to_ do besides die over and over. What beyond lose all that I care about again and again? Where was I supposed to succeed?"

Slowly, the people before him began to fade, leaving him alone once again. He sighed. Such a cruel fate indeed. Alone suited him just fine. He had always been alone. He'd been so alone that he'd created himself a companion. Or rather, he'd replaced the person he'd loved most with a companion he'd created. But really, what was he to do? Where was his alternative? Where was his guiding light? His path toward success? Where was the brightest Star that was supposed to guide him to his destiny? Where was the ray of sunshine to light his way? How was he supposed to know what to do, how to succeed, if he wasn't even allowed to remember what he was?

He sighed, looking down where his feet were resting on the nothingness below him as if it were solid. He walked forward, not keeping track of how far, or if he walked straight. He simply walked. As he did, memories filtered through his head. The whispers of voices, the ghosts of smiles, flashes of words. Nothing remained, and when he tried to grasp onto the memories, he found his own starting to slip. He couldn't remember the color of his pants. Or the color of his hair. He couldn't remember the names of his friends, or of the girl whose gold eyes he remembered wanting to see again. He couldn't remember what he did for a living, or how he did it. He couldn't even remember his own name.

A door swam into view ahead of him and he reached out, turning it and pushing it open. He stepped into a kitchen, brightly lit by the sun. The light was reflecting off of everything, blurring his view slightly, though he didn't mind. This wasn't real anyway. Not the door he pushed closed, not the little girl he lifted into his arms and hugged tight to his chest, and not the beautiful woman who greeted him with a kiss before staring at him with those beautiful golden eyes. This couldn't be real, because for it to be real, he'd need to know their names.

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he felt his dream beginning to fade. First the kitchen, then the daughter. The wife smiled sadly at him and reached out to wipe his tears away, only to fade just before making contact. He couldn't remember. He should know her. He should know why the thought of her not being real was a cold, serrated blade of ice sawing into his heart. He should know what his own name was. But he couldn't He couldn't remember his name. He couldn't remember his age. Was he twenty? Eighteen? Eighty? Two? He couldn't recall.

"Who am I?" he asked the void. "Where am I going? What do I do?"

"You're Fox Winters," a soft voice said behind him.

He turned, seeing a girl standing before him. He couldn't remember her name, but she had beautiful blue eyes, and a warm smile. He recognized her face, but he couldn't remember her name.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Ava," she smiled. "I'm your best friend. You want to know who you are, right? I can show you."

"You can?" he asked.

"Yeah," she smiled, offering her hand. "All you have to do is take my hand."

He nodded, reaching out, only for pain to wrack his whole body, sending him staggering away, tears flooding down his face. "It hurts!"

"I know," she smiled sadly, tears of her own sliding down her face. "I know it hurts. You've gone through so much. So much more than you should have had to. So much more than you could bear. But if you want to know who you are, you have to bear with the pain for a little longer."

"Is it worth it?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said. "I don't know if it'll be worth it. But I know that you have friends."

"I do?" he asked, eyes widening slowly.

"Yes," she smiled. "You have so many friends. Me, Wulfe, Ruby, Yang, Oscar, Jaune, Pyrrha, Weiss, Nora, Ren, Qrow, Penny. You have someone who loves you, Blake. The others, they're all waiting for you to come back to them. Can't you feel them? They need you to wake up. To be okay. Can't you hear them?"

He looked around, the whisper of voices just barely registering in his ears. He looked to her hand, the voices seeming to be coming from her palm.

"It's going to hurt," she said. "And you're not going to like everything you see. A lot will scare you. You'll regret a lot. But you won't be alone this time. You'll wake up surrounded by the ones you love this time."

"What about you?" he asked. "Will you be there?"

She shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. "This is as far as I can go. But you'll be okay. You'll have Blake and the others."

He raised a hand but hesitated. "What if I decide I don't like it? Can I come back here again? Can I find you again?"

"No," she smiled. "You won't be able to come back here ever again. And I don't think you'll be able to find me again."

His face fell, but he nodded, resting his hand in hers. A tidal wave of agony screamed through his body, images and memories flashing through his mind. So much time. So many lives. So much pain. Loss. Death. And then, there was light. Happiness. Peace. And then, there were those beautiful gold eyes.

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	42. Chapter 42

I do not own RWBY or any of the characters.

* * *

True Power

Fox slowly opened his eyes, staring up into the golden orbs above him, both swimming with tears and wide with surprise and joy. He let out a long, wheezy breath, too weak to actually groan, and pushed himself up, wrapping his right arm around her, ignoring the feeling of being off-balance. He could deal with that later.

"She did it," Blake breathed, on the verge of sobbing. "Ava saved you."

"I'm so sorry," Fox croaked.

"It's alright," Blake smiled. "You're back now."

Fox nodded, looking to the side at his shattered sword before sighing, picking up Ava's weapon, currently collapsed into a small metal cylinder, from where it lay in the snow beside him. He extended it into a bo staff, using it to struggle to his feet, Blake helping him stand where she could. It wasn't easy without a left arm for her to wrap over her shoulders. he sighed, looking at where his torso just abruptly ended. It wouldn't regrow. He may have the ability to regrow severed limbs normally, but this time it wouldn't. Somehow, he just knew.

"Are the Grimm still attacking?" Fox asked.

"Yes," Pyrrha nodded. "But without the Eclipse, we should be able to hold them off."

"What have I missed?" Fox asked.

"General Ironwood told Atlas and Mantle about Salem and Amity," Blake said. "He says Amity's finished.

"It's not," Fox said, his aura beginning to shimmer over his skin, then beginning to rage across his body. "It's a trap for Salem's goons. Qrow, find Robyn Hill and defend her. She's a powerful ally who the people trust. Tyrion will go after her. The rest of you, scatter into Mantle, find civilians, and escort them to the shelters."

"What about you?" Blake asked, just before a pair of shining white wings, both looking to be feathered but formed entirely from energy, suddenly spread from his back.

"I'm going to exterminate the Grimm," Fox said. "After hundreds of years, I finally have my full power once again. I'm going to crush them all. After that...we need to talk." He glanced at Blake, whose eyes widened before he took off.

He sped through the city rapidly, shifting Ava's weapon between various forms rapidly, the memories he'd gained from her returning his power to him allowing him to use her weapon as well as he was once able to before giving it to her, back when it was one of his two primary weapons, alongside his sword. He split a pair of Goliaths in half with a gigantic katana, then spun it into a spear, hurling it down into a Sabyr's back. As soon as he landed, he wrenched it out of the ground and spun, shifting it into a scimitar in reverse grip, slashing another pair of Sabyrs with it before spinning it into a pair of chakrams and sending them into two Manticores' faces. He leapt into the air over them and flipped over a Chimera, blasting his shining white fist down into its back and sending it exploding down into the ground on top of the two Manticores. Then, he shot past the two, retrieving his chakrams and spinning them into an arming sword, speeding through the streets and carving his way through any and all Grimm he found. Finally, he landed beside Team RWBY again just as their scrolls all beeped. Ruby answered and reported that Ironwood had summoned them all back to Atlas.

They all climbed onto the next plane to land and it took off as Fox called Pietro.

"Hello Fox," Pietro smiled. "How can I help?"

"How long will it take you to make me a prosthetic for this?" Fox asked, swinging the camera over to his left side, the skin having sealed the wound by now. "The amputation is vertical, three inches in from the shoulder. All bones, to include collar bone, shoulder blade, and ribs are damaged, and my organs healed.

"Well, for something like that...without any special modifications...I'd say probably an hour," Pietro said.

"Make it a built in bow, preferably near the hand," Fox said. "I'll have penny drop off the pieces of my sword. I need a new weapon."

"I'll be as quick as I can, but...on such short notice..."

"Just do what you can," Fox said. "I've got a weapon for now, but I _need_ tht arm."

Pietro nodded. "I'll try."

"See you soon, then," Fox said.

He hung up and messaged Penny, asking her to get his sword pieces to Pietro, then meet him at the Winter Maiden. She asked how he knew where to find her, but he neglected to answer.

"Fox, are you okay?" Blake asked.

"No," Fox said. "One of my best friend is dead, I'm in pain, and I know everything I've ever done wrong with such clarity that I might as well have just done it."

Blake reached up, cupping his cheek and turning his head toward her. "We're going to be alright. Right?"

Fox was silent for a minute before nodding, smiling tiredly and kissing her for a few seconds. "Yeah. We'll be alright."

She smiled and nodded. "So, where are we going next?"

"You and the rest of Team RWBY are going to go to meet with Ironwood," Fox said. "Tell him everything that happened and let him know I went to defend the Winter Maiden. When he asks how I found her, tell him I can sense her."

Blake nodded and kissed Fox again. After a few seconds he pulled away and opened the door, dropping backward out of it before rolling and spreading his wings, streaking through the air to the building where the Winter Maiden was being held. He walked through the building in silence, and anyone who tried to stop him, he dropped with a sharp smack of his extended metal rod. Finally, he opened the door to the Winter Maiden's room, stepping inside and walking over to the medical pod she was in. He rested the end of his rod on the ground as he waited, and after a few moments, Winter, and a moment later Penny, both stepped into the room, only to stop, staring at him.

"You don't need to be afraid," Fox said. "I'm here to help defend her."

"Ironwood's ordered your arrest," Winter informed him, hand on her sword. "And I'm to-"

"To take the Winter Maiden's power, yes, I figured," Fox nodded. "It was only a matter of time before Ironwood snapped and went entirely off the deep end into total dictator, allowing his fear to turn him into one of Salem's most useful pawns even as he tries to resist her."

"What dod you say!?" Winter snapped.

"Relax," Fox said, raising his rod and spinning it once, the rod flattening until it had become a jian. "Yes, this form should do to start with. Though, with only the one arm..." He turned to the door. "Cinder is on her way here."

"How do you know that?" Penny asked.

"I'm at full power now," Fox said. "I can sense the Maidens' power. With only the one arm, and only my secondary weapon to fight with, I may need your help to beat her."

"To kill Cinder?" Winter asked, drawing her sword as Penny spread her blades behind her. "Gladly."

Just then, the door hissed open and Cinder stopped, staring at the three of them, her Grimm left arm curling into a fist.

"Grimm arms again, Cinder?" Fox asked. "You really never learn, do you?"

"You again," Cinder growled. "You don't learn very well either. Raven Branwen isn't here to save you this time."

"Good," Fox said. "Then that means this fight might actually entertain me."

Cinder narrowed her eyes, forming herself a pair of curved blades like her original swords had been. As she did, Fox turned his left side toward her, holding his Jian across his body, Penny and Winter both readying themselves as well. For a moment, no one moved. Then, Fox exploded forward, cracking the ground where he'd been standing with the force and smashing his Jian entirely through one of her swords before the second stopped it. Then, his knee exploded into her gut. She coughed, smashing into the ceiling as he flipped, throwing an aerial, left roundhouse kick at her. His foot exploded into her side and she exploded through the doorframe, shattering the wall before bouncing and rolling down the hallway. Finally, she flipped, planting her feet and skidding to a stop, reforming her swords in time for Fox and Winter to both reach her. She spun and slashed rapidly, deflecting their blades as skillfully as he expected. She was always good, but she had improved drastically. Fox spun around Winter just before Cinder slammed a kick into her, sending her flying backward. Then, swung his weapon around in reverse grip, a massive mallet head ballooning from the end mid-swing. Cinder gasped harshly, trying to block it, only for the hammer to explode through both of her swords, exploding into her entire torso, sending her exploding into the wall. A moment later, Penny's swords fired a laser, which exploded into Cinder, sending her bouncing down the hallway. After a moment, the laser stopped and Cinder flipped, landing on her feet just in time for her Grimm arm to catch Penny's hand in a punch. Fox shot forward, only for Cinder to slam Penny into him, sending both blasting through the wall.

Fox shoved Penny aside, then rolled the other way just before Cinder shoved a scimitar through the wall where they'd been. He slammed a kick into the side of her head, sending her staggering away, and suddenly, birds made of ice began to streak past Cinder, a thick fog of ice dust filling the area. Then, Winter was there, her now separate blades clashing with Cinders rapidly. Fox snatched his own off the ground just as Cinder slammed a kick into Winter once again.

"The Maiden's power _will_ be mine!" Cinder snarled.

"Over my dead body!" Fox snarled, spinning and slashing at Cinder over and over with his chakram, moving in a blur as Cinder struggled to fend him off.

"My thoughts exactly!" Cinder snarled, slashing downward at him, only for him to spin around her, slashing her up the back, his suddenly serrated blade grating against her Aura harshly before he push kicked her, sending her flying.

Cinder bounced once before spinning and kicking Winter aside before she could attack her. Then, she landed on her feet, shrieking angrily as flames danced from her eye. She rocketted forward, flames exploding from her feet, and Penny and Fox stepped forward to attack her, only for Cinder to deflected their blades before grabbing both by the throat, exploding out through the wall. Fox slashed upward, removing Cinder's Grimm arm and freeing himself and spreading his wings, and she screamed, Penny using the opening to slam all eight of her blades down onto Cinder's back, sending her streaking downward and freeing herself as well. Cinder shrieked in rage and pain, flipping as her grim arm reformed, then held out her hands, fireballs spraying from her palms at the two of them. Fox formed them a spherical barrier and grit his teeth as the fireballs began to explode into it.

After a moment, they ended and Fox swiped a hand, the shield pulsing outward and clearing the smoke, allowing him and Penny to see Winter, on an ice Manticore, clashing with Cinder repeatedly. Finally, Cinder kicked off of the Manticore, rocketing away from Winter, up at Fox again. Fox shot downward, spinning his chakram into a long, thin arming sword before meeting Cinder in the middle, the two beginning to spiral in tight circles in the middle, their blades clashing over and over in a shower of sparks. After a moment, Fox flipped into the air, turning horizontal and spinning, his blade sparking against Cinder's blades once and shoving them out of the way, then her aura twice before shifting into a hammer and smashing into her back, sending her flying. She flipped, roaring in rage, just in time for Penny and Winter's blades to explode into her from above. She shot downward, stopping herself after a moment. Then, she shrieked in rage, lightning flashing off of her body in all directions, blasting the ground, the buildings, Fox's shield, Penny's blades, and Winter and her ice Manticore both. Winter shrieked in pain as she began to fall and Cinder shot toward Fox.

"Catch her Penny!" Fox said, spinning his hammer into a katana.

He shot downward, his blade clashing with Cinder's again and again for a moment before Cinder screamed, a bolt of lightning exploding into Fox's Aura from point blank range, sending him exploding into the ground. He groaned, pushing himself up slowly and picked up his weapon, spinning it back into its jian form, this time with slightly longer arms on the guard, and looked up at the building just as an umbrella landed on his shoulder. He stopped, turning, and raised an eyebrow as Neo smiled at him, Jinn's lamp hanging from her waist and a bowler hat on her head.

"I was not expecting to see you again, Neo," Fox said. "How've you been?"

She shrugged, still smirking.

"You know you won't beat me, right?" Fox asked.

Neo smiled, small pink fragments of light, like cherry blossom petals, appearing above her and falling, leaving her as Cinder. Fox raised an eyebrow.

"No, I'm going to beat the ever-living shit out of her," Fox said. "I'm tired of this fight, so I'm going to use my ace in the hole."

Neo's eyes widened and she nodded slowly as she returned to her own appearance. She cocked her head to the side, the hand holding her umbrella holding a finger to her cheek. Then she nodded to herself and stepped forward, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before turning and walking away.

"What was that for?" Fox asked, glancing at the lamp she'd placed in his hand.

Neo smiled back at him and a hazy image appeared in front of him, showing her landing on top of him during the Fall of Beacon. Then, the image shattered and she was gone.

He shook his head, turning to leave just as the lamp was enveloped by cherry blossom petals and his gut dropped. A moment later, he was holding an Atlas robot's head, the neck still sparking. He rolled his eyes. She was clever. He looked up at the building again just as a spiraling column of ice and frozen air exploded up out of the building. The Winter Maiden was awake, and apparently wasn't a fan of Cinder. Fox spread his wings, taking off and speeding into the air. He'd deal with Cinder first. Once he'd done that, he could worry about the Lamp. Right now, his biggest concern was stopping Cinder from doubling her power.

"Fox, can you hear me?" Blake's voice suddenly asked from his scroll's earpiece.

"I'm here," Fox said. "Cinder's trying to get the Winter Maiden. Me, Winter, and Penny are fighting her off."

"We'll be there in a minute!" Blake said.

"Don't worry," Fox said. "I'm about to end it. I haven't even had to use the emerald in my shirt to enhance my Semblance yet. This fight's about over."

"Don't get over confident," Yang said. "We'll be there soon. Be careful."

"I will," Fox said, then disconnected.

As he neared the roof, the Winter Maiden's power died down. Fox flipped, dropping through the hole just as Winter, now with her hair loose and messy, and with gashes and scratches covering her body, exploded into the ice covering the wall. Cinder spun toward where Penny was cradling the Winter Maiden in her arms, only to see Fox standing before her, a layer of pure white energy covering him. However, as she watched, his torso where his shirt was turned emerald green before it spread over his entire energy shroud.

"It's over, Cinder," Fox said. "You've lost this battle."

"No!" Cinder shrieked. "I refuse to accept defeat!"

"Accept it or don't, you'll still die," Fox said, holding his sword out to his side calmly. "Have you forgotten the difference in my power when I use Emerald to amplify my abilities compared to when I don't? And currently, I have more emerald on me than I did either of the times we fought before. I'm also vastly more powerful than those times to begin with."

"You don't scare me!" Cinder spat.

"I should," Fox said.

"Winter!" Weiss's voice suddenly shrieked from above them, both looking up, as did Penny, who suddenly had green flames flickering from her eyes.

Cinder snarled angrily, seeing Weiss and Ruby both standing in a gap in the ice above them, opposite Winter. She formed a pair of fireballs in her hands, but before she could use them, light suddenly shone from Ruby's eyes and there was a deafening crash. When the light faded, Cinder was gone, and there was a new hole in the roof of the ice-coated room.

"Dammit," Fox sighed, letting his energy shroud fade. "I had her too."

"Are you alright?" Ruby asked.

"I'm fine," Fox said. "At least, as fine as I have been since I woke up. But the Winter Maiden..."

"She's gone," Penny said.

"No," Fox said. "She's a part of you, now. You're the new Winter Maiden."

"Winter!" Weiss said worriedly, kneeling beside Winter, who began to push herself up slowly.

"What...did you...do!?" Winter demanded, glaring up at Weiss.

"If I had to guess, we refused to allow Ironwood to enforce Martial Law and leave Mantle to die," Fox said.

Winter sighed, then grunted in pain, sliding back to sit against the wall. "I suggest you all surrender, and comply with the general's orders."

"We can't do that," Weiss said.

"Then...I suggest you run," Winter said.

"No!" Weiss gasped, stepping forward. "You're hurt! I'm not leaving you like this!"

"You're not leaving me!" Winter snapped. "I'm giving you...a head start." Her voice broke at the end, but she raised her hand to her earpiece. "This is special operative Schnee in need of immediate medical assistance. Send...reinforcements, over."

Weiss stared at her in surprise and hurt for a moment, then sighed. "We all have to carve out our own way."

Just then, a plane flew up beside one of the holes and the side door opened, Blake leaping out instantly and sprinting to Fox, throwing her arms around him.

"Are you alright?" Blake asked.

"I'm fine," Fox said. "Ruby chased Cinder off before I could finish the fight, though. Come on. We need to go. Now."

He and Blake both headed to the plane, followed by Weiss, then Ruby. Finally, Penny joined them on the plane and it pulled away, leaving the building behind. Ruby and Weiss both hugged penny, trying to cheer her up, and Fox wrapped his arm around Blake, who clung to him. Off to the side, Wulfe, scowled at the floor. Fox felt guilty.

"What happened?" Fox finally asked. "Where's Oscar?"

"Oscar left to face Ironwood on his own, we think," Jaune said. "And that girl, Neo, stole the relic."

Fox nodded.

"Ironwood declared martial law and tried to have us all arrested," Ruby said. "Because Salem used one of those tentacle Grimm to contact us. She's coming here. She could be here any minute."

Fox nodded. "In that case, I suppose time is short. I'll have to work fast."

"What do you mean?" Blake asked as he stepped away from her, holding out his arm toward the middle of the plane, where there was an empty space.

He closed his eyes, focusing, finding the memories he'd need, the ones that didn't belong. Then, he activated his Semblance, channeling it through his arm and into the space beside him. After a few moments, blinding white light spread from his hand, forming into a sphere, then stretching into a silhouette before filling out into person. Ava. Exactly as she had been, except for one difference. He made sure her feet were human this time, so she wouldn't have to be ashamed of them. The light faded and she staggered to the side, Wulfe catching her instantly. She stared at him blankly for a moment before looking around. Finally, her eyes widened as her newly-returned memories settled.

She squealed in delight and flung her arms around Fox, kissing him for a moment, for lack of a better way to thank him, before spinning and flinging herself at Wulfe, kissing him as well. Fox shook his head, smirking as she pulled back.

"You recreated me?" Ava asked, slipping her hand into Wulfe's as she turned to Fox.

"Of course," Fox said. "You're my best friend, Ava. And here, this belongs to you." He held out her weapon and she smiled, accepting it.

"My energy feels different," Ava frowned.

"Well, thanks to you fucking up my Semblance and locking my memories, I no longer need you to have the ability to control my memories or my reincarnation," Fox said. "So instead, your Semblance now works the same way mine does."

Ava smiled broadly and nodded. "But, wait, how will you fight without a weapon and with only one arm?"

"Doctor?" Fox asked, turning to Pietro.

"I just barely managed to finish in time," Pietro said. "I finally got to test out a speed-builder invention of mine."

Fox nodded, accepting the arm Pietro held out. It was like Yang's, except that it had a section to connect to his torso, including metal pieces to complete the damaged bones. Fox grit his teeth, his Aura fading from around his healed wound before turning that side to Ava. She formed her weapon into a blade and slashed upward, sheering off his skin over the wound, everyone in the plane shouting in surprise and disgust and looking away. Then, Fox used his semblance to control the prosthetic, pressing it to his wound and shouting in pain as its internal components came alive, false muscle connecting to his body, the metal bone replacements extending a sleeve to cover the remaining pieces of his bones, then heating and permanently fusing to them. Then, his aura shone and raced over the points where his body met the metal, healing the damage and fusing the prosthetic to him in seconds. He sighed, wiping sweat from his forehead and manipulating the arm, raising and flexing it, curling the hand into a fist, testing its flexibility. It was perfect. He extended the bow, which formed from separate pieces in the forearm before connecting to a base that sprung out of the palm, allowing him to hold onto it, or use it with an open hand according to his preference. It worked perfectly with his Semblance, and thanks to the emerald in his shirt, he could empower the arrows as needed.

"Perfect," Fox said, collapsing the bow again.

"There's something else," Pietro said. "I know you said you didn't want another weapon when I was upgrading the others, and now that I know what Emerald does for your Semblance, I agree that it wasn't a great idea to replace it with Dust after all, but when I made that shirt, I didn't actually need all of the emerald from your cuirass. So, just in case you needed it, I went ahead and made you a couple of spare weapons." He held out a glove and an odd, bladeless hilt. "The glove has the emeralds from your last sword in the back of the hand and the back of the forearm, and in place of the usual copper wiring or Dust that I'd normally use, I used the rest of the emerald from your cuirass. While you're wearing it, you should be able to generate weapons from your Semblance's energy.

Fox pulled the glove on, inspecting it. As Pietro had said, the emeralds were embedded in it, and there were green lines of emerald running along the otherwise black material of the glove. They didn't hamper its flexibility at all, but when he tested its abilities, he _was_ , in fact, able to form melee weapons from energy with it, whether it was a sword, or a spear, or something else, the emerald in the glove glowing as he did.

"What about the hilt?" Fox asked.

"This one's a similar idea," Pietro said. "In case you decided you wanted a more physical weapon, I designed this. You should be able to generate a blade for it with your Semblance, but there's no Emerald in the hilt itself."

Fox nodded, inspecting the hilt. It had a black grip, long enough for two hands, the higher of which had a finger guard, which connected to the hilt between where Fox's hands would go. Above the grip, there was a silver Manticore pictured from the side with a wing extending back and down from the back of it, the wing ending about level with the hilt, and the Manticore's tail extending down the grip where the first hand would be. The section the Manticore was a part of was a rounded half-dome-like section starting from the top of the finger guard where it opened into a projector, then curved up in front of the Manticore before ending, becoming solid again about an inch in front of the Manticore's head. Fox focused and a shining white energy blade formed from the projector, starting out thin just above the finger guard before widening as the projector sloped backward and the blade continued, becoming a two foot cleaver-like blade with a gentle curve to the paint. Fox nodded appreciatively, letting the blade fade and accepting the hilt's holster, a sort of sleeve of leather, and attaching it to his belt.

"I like it," Fox nodded. "Thank you."

Pietro nodded, smiling.

"Multiple hostiles on radar," a male voice suddenly said from the plane's radio. "Is anyone else seeing this?"

"These readings can't be right!" a female said.

Fox walked to the window and looked out. A pitch black storm cloud dominated the world to one side of Atlas, and as he watched, an army of flying Grimm began to appear from it. Wyverns, Nevermores, Chimera, Manticors, Sphinxes. And then, there, in the middle, was Salem's steed. A giant, glowing, whale-like Grimm with bat-wing-like fins allowing it to fly, gigantic teeth, an angry, orange glow in its head similar to that of Salem's tentacled Grimm, huge purple crystalline spikes along its back, and Salem herself standing atop it, smirking coldly as she watched her future victims grow slowly closer.

"She's here."

* * *

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